Dreams vs Reality
by Karelia Jones
Summary: All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one day a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought only his imagination was really a reality. Sasuke/Naruto pairing because I love them. POSSESSIVE SASUKE and DARK NARUTO in later chapters
1. Dreams vs Reality

**Summary:** All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one day a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:**This story is rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note:** I've been on a writing hiatus for a while but recently found inspiration. This is my first Naruto story and I'm excited about the concept and where I can go with it, I've always loved dream sequences and everything you can do with them. This chapter will be mostly back story with flash backs and dream sequences but that won't last forever I swear so just bear with me for the first chapter or two. The next one if already written but I'm going through and doing last minute editing and rewrites. Please review I love hearing your comments and I hope you enjoy

~*&*&*~ = This sign just means the beginning and ending of Flashbacks. I really hate writing "Flashback" and "Flashback ending" all the time and thought this was a more attractive way to do it.

* * *

_Sasuke was running down a dark stone torched lite hallway, his blood pulsing loudly in his ears and his lungs burning. Even with his legs rebelling at the punishing pace he had set he refused to slow, he knew he was running out of time, he might already be too late. He continued running and running before coming to a stop when the hallway spilt into three different directions. Shit, now what? He didn't have time, **he** needed him, and Sasuke could feel him getting weaker by the second. _

"_Help… Me" Sasuke paused and focused on calming his ragged breathing as he listen harder to try and determine the direction the voice was coming from. It felt like countless hours ticked by while he waited, even though in reality it wasn't longer than a minute, then finally he heard it again "Help… me… please" He turned to the left and once again set off at a pounding run, ignoring his protesting muscles, his heart racing, he had to find him NOW. Finally he saw a door at the end of the hallway and ran full speed at it, for the first time in his life not caring about traps or trying to analyze all the outcomes of the situation before he acted. His heart in his throat when he finally reached the door and pushed it open, feeling a rush of relief when he discovered it to be unlocked. He glanced around the dark room and waited for his eyes to adjust. Then he saw him on the floor, pale and thin with his blonde hair plastered to his face by sweat and blood. Sasuke moved toward him and knelt down staring at the boy's face, his breathe caught in fear that he might already be too late. Finally the boy's eyes opened and Sasuke was awed by the spectacular shade of blue that looked back at him. The boy parted his cracked lips before the corners turned up into a smile, Sasukes heart twisted at the sight. _

"_Finally" The boy said "You found me"_

An alarm blared through the room causing Sasuke to jolt awake, he groaned turning to slam his hand down on the alarm clock. Bringing his hand back to his eyes and rubbing them Sasuke groaned once again before swinging his legs over the side of his bed and sitting up. He cradled his head in his hands as he remembered his dream. _Man I haven't had one like that in a long time_ he thought to himself. The blonde haired blue eyed boy had been a constant figure in his dreams when he was a child, their first dream meeting being after the murder of his family so long ago.

0~*&*&*~0

_Sasuke sat in a corner, his knees drawn up to his chest with his face pressed against them as he silently cried. Why? Why had they all died? Why had they all died and left him here as the only person to mourn them? Why couldn't he save them? All these questions ran through the 13 year olds head as he cried and cried and cried. _

_"Hey" Sasuke head snapped up and he immediately found himself looking into a pair of brilliantly blue eyes. He closed his eyes in surprise but when he opened them the boy was still there. Sasuke hurried up and wiped his face trying to get rid of any evidence that he had been crying. He glared at the boy_

_"What are you doing here?" He hissed more out of embarrassment then actual anger. The boy just smiled _

_"I come here often but this is my first time seeing someone else hanging around. I think that means were supposed to be friends" Sasuke blinked _

_"I don't need any more friends, I'm happy on my own" He snapped, the boy leaned back on his heels and turned his head to the side, a jester that Sasuke would soon come to associate as his 'thinking' face. As he studied him, Sasuke took the time to also observe his strange and somewhat unwanted companion, the boy appeared to be about his age with brilliantly blue eyes and stunning golden blonde hair, but his most defining characteristics were the three identical whisker like scars he had on each cheek. Those combined with his current stance almost made him look... animal like_

_"Well you don't look happy to me, and plus no one wants to be on their own. Why are you crying anyway? You scared of sumin'?" The boy asked innocently Sasuke felt his anger flare once again at the question_

_"No I'm not scared of ANYTHING! I'm sad because my family just died you idiot! They died and left me here all alone and there's nothing I can do about it!" He screamed, he glared at the boy his breaths leaving him in rapid burst. He didn't know if he was breathing hard because of his screams or because of the effort it was taking to keep holding back his cries. But besides a widening of his eyes his companion seemed somewhat unfazed by what had just been said. _

_"So you're all alone now" Sasuke just nodded, his throat still tight from holding back his tears, the boy continued to gaze at him "I'm all alone too, but I've always been alone, I don't know what families are like or what it feels like to lose one." He paused a thoughtful look on his face "Although if I did have a family and I had been the one who had to die and leave them on their own I wouldn't want the ones I left behind to look anything like you do now." Sasuke was in the boy's face before he even knew he reacted_

_"SHUT UP! You said it yourself you know nothing of families so don't pretend like you could even begin to know what or how they would want me to feel!" he seethed. The blue eyes staring back at him sparkled in challenge and he leaned his face even closer to Sasukes _

_"So they would want you to be sitting here in the dirt crying to yourself, throwing a pathetic pity and tearing yourself apart with guilt and anger? They wouldn't want you to move on and be happy and look back on the happy memories you had with them instead of focusing so hard on their death? They wouldn't want you to try and honor their memories and continue your life trying to better yourself and find your own happiness? No instead they want you to go through life hating yourself and those around you for things that no one can change?" He chuckled and shook his head slowly side to side "Well if that how families think then I'm glad I don't have one" With that the boy pushed up off the ground and started to walk away _

_"Hey you can't just say stuff like that and walk away! Where are you going?" Sasuke called after him, the boy continued to walk as he called over his shoulder _

_"Away from here, I have enough sadness in my life without yours bringing me down. If you ever stop feeling sorry for yourself and want to talk you know where to find me." He was beginning to disappear from view, Sasuke started to get up to go after him. He didn't know if he wanted to yell at him some more or if he just didn't want to be alone but either way he figured it was best to keep the boy in sight. _

_"HEY-" He yelled. As he started to jog after the boy he tripped, the ground rushing up to meet his face and-_

_Sasuke jerked awake in his bed. He sat up and looked around the room in confusion... Wait... It had all been a dream? Sasuke laid his head back down and sighed with annoyance. As much as the boy had angered him, he had also been the first person, dream or otherwise, in 4 months to not look at him in pity or treat him like he was going to self-destruct. He stared at the ceiling and thought about what the dream boy had said... maybe... maybe he had a point. Maybe his parents were looking down at him right now sadden by what they see he has become, a withdrawn, angry and moody child, and the last thing he would want is for them to feel anymore sadness. But how could he possible let it go? He pondered this, all the while in the back of his mind hoping he would see the blonde again tomorrow night, maybe he would have answers_

_And when he fell asleep the next night the boy was there, like an answer to his prayers. _

0~*&*&*~0

After that he had become a dream companion and best friend, every night when he would fall asleep the boy would be there waiting for him. They would talk and hang out, all the while Sasuke knew that this dream and his friendship with a person that was most likely a figment of his imagination was strange but he couldn't bring himself to end it or distance himself from the boy. He was fine with the way things stood, even though he figured that they boy was not real and he was most likely conversing with a different form of himself the blonde was his friend and the only one he could talk to, the only one that he felt truly understood him. He would have continued on this way for god knows how long if one night his dream hadn't taken a dark turn. He began to imagine that the boy was being tortured, his skin being cut and ripped apart while his captures laughed and called for more pain, it had felt so real almost as if it had been happening to Sasuke as well. The dreams had continued for weeks each time Sasuke would wake up in pain and screaming calling out for his friend and for his torture to stop, causing his Guardian Kakashi to rush into the room in a panic. After one night when he came in to find that Sasuke had dug his nails so deep into his palms they had left behind deep bleeding gashes he decided enough was enough. He called in a "specialist" and after his session with him there had only been one more dream with the boy in it, one that even now pierced at Sasukes heart.

0~*&*&*~0

"_Why?" The boy was huddled in a corner his arms wrapped around his legs with his head pressed against his knees, he appeared to be even weaker and thinner now then he had ever been before. It was strange, Sasuke thought, this was the pose that the boy had found Sasuke himself in once the first time they met and now their roles were reversed on this night which was meant to be their last. In the past Sasuke would have went to him, but he could almost hear "the specialist" telling him to stay back._

"_I'm sorry but I can't be with you any more, you're hurting me….." The boys head snapped up his blue eyes flaring in anger _

"_They're hurting ME, please don't leave me here alone, please…. I don't wanna be alone anymore" The boy held Sasukes gaze, silently pleading with him. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to cross the room and hug him, to comfort him as he had done for Sasuke all those years ago, but the specialist had said that the boy was only a figment of his imagination, the part of him that he had created when he was scared and in pain over the death of his family, he had told him he needed to be strong and let him go because now all his repressed pain was coming back to hurt him. _

"_I'm sorry, but I can't come back to you anymore" he turned and gripped the door, his heart felt like it was ripping in his chest. _

"_Please, Sasuke, don't leave me in the dark alone" The boy whispered…. His words almost to faint for Sasukes ears to hear. _

"_I'm sorry, Naruto…" Then he opened the door and was plunged into the light. _

0~*&*&*~0

After that dream Sasuke once again drew into himself, he had lost his confidant and had a hard time trying to replace him. He continued on with his life trying to follow the advice he had been given but it was hard and there were times he wished he could have gone back in time and never had to say goodbye. Even now looking back on the dreams seven years later it still felt so real, they had all felt so real. He could have sworn that the boy was in trouble and that he needed Sasuke to help him. But after that night he never dreamed of him again

Until now.

Sighing he lifted his head out of his hands and looked at his cell phone, resting on the night stand next to the alarm clock and debated over whether he should call Kakashi and see if he could determine why the dream had made a reappearance. He quickly decided against it, reasoning that one bad dream most likely brought on by stress wasn't enough to panic over. He pushed off of the bed moving toward his shower and began his morning routine. As he moved around his somewhat sterile apartment he paused when he saw the coffee and donuts waiting for him on his counter. He went over and picked up the card.

**Hey Sasuke,**

**I came over earlier hoping we could ride into work together but I had forgotten that you were assigned a late mission last night so you'd be coming in late today. Any way I decided to leave the coffee and donuts for you, though I did sneak one :) I hope you enjoy them**

**See you later, **

**Sakura **

Sasuke glanced from the note to the food and back again, unsure how to take the jester. Sakura had made no secret of the fact that she wanted him and after one drunken incident last month when he had let things go a little too far, she had become almost relentless in her pursuit. He had continued to brush her off but she refused to take no for an answer, if anything his indifference seem to make her want him more. He picked up the donut and sniffed it experimentally, he wouldn't be surprised if they were laced with some kind of love poison. He sighed and dropped the donut back onto the plate and decided to ignore the suspiciously friendly event he moved away from his counter making a mental note to ask for his key back. He had only given it to her because they were neighbors/coworkers and for emergencies, but now he was beginning to worry about her having access to his home.

After making his own breakfast he headed out the door and made his way to work. The streets of Konoha were clogged with mid-day traffic but he still managed to make it to the office in time. Sasuke parked his car in front of a seemingly inconspicuous office building. Sasuke entered the building waving to Genma at the security doors before he made his way across the lobby to the elevator where after he punched in his code and gave his finger prints he was granted access to ride to the top floor where the ANBU black ops office was located. He exited the elevator and began the walk to his office when a small curvaceous blonde stepped into his path.

"Hey Sasuke" Ino said as she batted her eye lashes at him, Sasuke inwardly sighed

"Hey" he replied trying to step around her, before he could complete the action she was once again in his way

"So I have these tickets to a concert on Saturday and I was supposed to go with a friend but she cancelled on me last minute so now I'm stuck trying to fill her spot" She stopped and gazed at him, He guessed she was waiting for him to offer to come with her. Like that was ever going to happen. Though Sasuke did have a thing for blondes he knew anything he started with Ino would prove difficult to end, and because they worked together he didn't even want to chance the possible headache it would turn out to be.

"Hn" He replied simply hoping she would see his disinterest and move along. He glanced over her head again, staring longingly at his office, if only she would move then he could make his escape.

"Oh Sasuke" She giggled "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me? As like a date" She blushed and looked away but not before he saw the hopeful look in her eye. Sasuke sighed out loud this time, he hated doing this, if only these girls would get a clue.

"Look Ino-"

"Sasuke" He paused and turned, Kakashi was at the other end of the hall behind him. The masked man took in the scene in front of him and Sasuke could see in his eye that he had analyzed the situation and could probably read in his body language that he needed an escape. He blew out a breathe, he was saved

"Yes" He answered

"Come on, we have another Mission and Tsunade wants us to come to the briefing room immediately." Sasuke nodded turning away from Ino without a word and falling into step beside his old guardian.

"Thank you for that" He muttered Kakashi turned and gave him a smile, at least Sasuke assumed it was a smile. Even though Kakashi was his guardian and they had lived together for a number of years he had never seen his full face, all of his facial expressions had to be deciphered by the top left side, the only part that he left exposed.

"You looked like you could use a rescue, but we really do have a mission" Kakashi replied, waving his hand dismissively

"I don't know what's wrong with these girls, they're like vultures, or worst roaches. As soon as you think you get rid of one, two more pop up to take its place" Kakashi laughed at Sasukes disgusted tone.

"They just can't help themselves against your 'Man of mystery' persona, every single one of them wants to be the girl who you let in, the one that gets to know what you're thinking" Sasuke gave him a half smile, the closet he ever came to an actual laugh

"Trust me, no they don't. Plus I've learned my 'man of mystery' charm from the best. Every girl in here is also dying to be the one who gets to see your true face. But I swear you eat, sleep, and probably fuck with the damn thing on so good luck to them" Kakashi glanced at him giving a surprised laugh but chose not to comment and they finish the walk to the briefing room in comfortable silence. They entered the room to see Tsunade, Sakura, Neji and Hinata already gathered around the table.

"Took you guys long enough, hurry up and sit down I don't have all day" Tsunade yelled already in a temper. They both sighed and took a seat, Kakashi took the one closest to Tsunade which meant Sasuke was forced to take the only available one next to Sakura and judging by her smile, he could tell she'd been saving it just for him.

"Ok now that everyone is here" She glares pointedly at them and both Kakashi and Sasuke glance away from her piercing gaze "I'll begin" She handed each of them a folder containing papers detailing their mission, they start to shuffle through them as she talks "We've received intel that could possible lead us to the hide out of one of the world's most dangerous criminals Orochimaru. In the past when we have gotten close to discovering his hide outs we always arrive too late and he goes underground for months before we hear from him again. So we need to move quickly on this, your team is to leave as soon as possible your mission is to infiltrate his lair and bring this criminal back to answer for his crimes. Also bring back any other information you find that could give us more evidence against him and details about just how much damage he has caused." She leans back in her chair and slowly glances around the room a look of annoyance on her face

"What are you waiting for, a written invitation? I said move QUICKLY" She screams the last word and they all hop out of their chairs and file out of the room. The group gather outside of the boardroom and quickly agree to meet at Kakashi's apartment in two hours, giving them enough time to settle things before we head off.

Sasuke quickly moves toward the elevator, pretending to not to hear Sakura behind him calling out his name and breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator doors close shut leaving him alone. He drives back home and begins moving around his apartment getting everything he thought he needed for the mission ahead and packing it away in his bag. He finished pretty quickly and after glancing at the clock realized he still had a good thirty minutes to relax before he had to leave. He laid down on the couch, going over the mission that lie ahead, there's no mistaking that Orochimaru is a dangerous and powerful opponent and he needed to be mentally prepared for the upcoming battle. He started to run through battle strategies in his mind before slowly nodding off to sleep

"_You're Back"_ _Sasuke's head snapped up and he glanced around the familiar windowless brick room before his eyes settled on the blonde before him. His eyes grew larger when he took in the aged form of his imaginary childhood friend, the boy had grown taller, his long body taking up half of the windowless room they were in, the whisker scars on his cheeks had grown more prominent and gave his face a more dangerously attractive look, his crystal blue eyes regarded Sasuke quietly. As Sasuke looked up and met those beautiful blue eyes an unfamiliar emotion rose in his chest, actually the appearance of any emotion at all was distressing for the usually stoic man. Naruto must have noticed his rising discomfort _

"_What's wrong?" He asked cocking his head to the side while gazing at him, a move at one time so familiar to Sasuke it made the feeling sharpen even more becoming almost painful. Sasuke slowly shook his head while trying to analyze what the tightness in his chest could be_

"…_.I think I….. Missed… you" Naruto eyes widen in shock before they narrowed_

"_Missed me? You're the one who LEFT me?" He hissed, Sasuke flinched back from his anger once again feeling another unfamiliar emotion but this one was easy to identify. It was guilt. _

"_I'm sorry, he told me I had to… he said you weren't real…" Sasuke paused then began to laugh at himself "Of course you're not real, this is all in my head, some sick twisted fantasy my lonely traumatized brain came up with. Why am I even apologizing to you? It's the same as apologizing to myself." He continued to laugh not noticing the infuriated look the blonde was giving him, in a flash Naruto was in front of him and before Sasuke could blink he had landed a blow against his jaw, strong enough to send him stumbling back. _

"_What the fuck!" He grunted bringing his hand up to his cheek_

"_Did that feel real enough for you? This isn't some dream this is a reality, a reality you left me in alone. After everything that we have been through together, everything I helped you with, I thought you would save me but instead you walked out." The boy was breathing hard with tears gathering in his eyes, Sasuke was speechless, figment of his imagination or not he couldn't have Naruto look at him with such hurt in his eyes, anyone else he could stand but not him. He moved slowly toward the wary blonde, started do something he hadn't attempted since he was a child. He moved his arm around the boys shoulder and drew him into a hug. He felt stiff and awkward and Naruto had stilled in his arms but after a while he relaxed and turned his face toward Sasuke shoulder wrapping his own arm around the waist of his childhood friend. _

"_I'm sorry, if I had known…" Sasuke told him as Naruto shook and squeezed him harder "I'm so sorry… I…. I don't even know how I could make it up to you" He asked, Naruto stilled and leaned back so he was face to face with Sasuke once more _

"_You can save me"' _

**BBBBUUUUUUZZZZZZZZ**

Sasuke was once again jolted awake falling off of the couch and landing in a heap on his living room floor. He groaned angry at himself for being so uncharacteristically jumpy. He rubbed his left shoulder which had taken most of the impact, before jumping to his feet. He quickly identified the sound he heard as his buzzer and moved to answer the door while continuing to rub his sore shoulder. On the other side stood a beaming Sakura

"Hey, are you ready to get going?" Sasuke blinked for a moment confused about why Sakura was here and where on earth she thought they would be going together. Then in a rush it came back to him. Mission. Orochimaru. Now. He rubbed his head before nodding

"Yea just let me go grab my bag" He ran to his room grabbing his pack and tossing it over his shoulder, glancing around the room and the rest of the apartment as he made his way back to the door checking to make sure he didn't forget anything important or leave something on. Usually he trusted his instincts, he was very meticulous and almost never forgot anything, but today with all of the weird dreams his been having has left him feeling off his game.

_You can save me..._

He paused as he remembered his freaky and extremely realistic dream then shook it off once again relating it too stress. He tried to assure himself that the only reason he dreamed about the boy again was because he had been thinking about him earlier this morning so he had dislodged some old memories in his subconscious and they had played out an alternate reality while he slept. Nodding his head at his assessment he marched the rest of the way to the door of his apartment and back to Sakura, his equilibrium restored.

"Let's go" Sakura exited the apartment and he followed after her, locking up quickly before turning and tailing behind her lost in his own thoughts. She must have sensed that he didn't want to talk because she had curbed her usual incessant chatter and remained silent till they arrived at his car. He unlocked the door and they both slide in, he turned to throw both of their bags in the back seat when he heard Sakura's gasp

"Oh my who hit you?" She asked reaching over the console to touch his cheek, Sasuke drew his head back flinching away from the unwanted touch

'What?" Sakura's hand was still hanging in the air between them. After casting him a brief wounded look she pulled it back holding it to her chest. Her expression changing again as she continued to gaze at him

"Your cheek, it's swollen. It looks like someone punched you pretty good." She said again, concerned. Sasuke blinked then turned and adjusted his mirror to get a good look at his face. Just as Sakura had said, there was a bruise and slight swelling already beginning to form along the left side of his jaw. He touched the area in awe

_No fucking way _

_It.. It was only a dream!_

"Who could land a punch on you? I've never seen that happen before" Sakura asked, the sound of her voice interrupting his chaotic thoughts. Sasuke just slowly shook his head in disbelief and said one word

"Naruto"

* * *

And there you have it! So what did you think? Like? dislike?


	2. The Impossible vs The Possible

**Summary:** All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:**This story is rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note: **Here's the second chapter. I should also say that most of this story will be focused on Sasuke and what he is feeling but after this chapter we will get to learn more about Naruto and his past as well. I apologize in advance for any errors, Grammar has never been my strong suit. Anyway on with the story!

0~*&*&*~0

* * *

Sakura was worried. She glanced at Sasuke once again and observed him as he drove, if you weren't paying attention you would think he looked normal and completely relaxed. But she had observed Sasuke more times than she could count. She could see the tight way he was holding his jaw, his hands gripping the steering wheel and then every once in a while one of those hands would touch his bruised cheek and a look of awe would come across his face again. That one look was full of more emotion then she's seen on Sasukes' face... ever.

"_Naruto" Sakura jolted, taken aback by the look on his face and in his eyes, there was a kind of desperation as he said the name with more care and affection that Sakura had thought he was capable of feeling, let alone expressing. She mentally tried to sort through their mutual acquaintances to see if she could possibly match a name with a face but came up blank. _

"_Who's Naruto?" She asked and after a moment Sasuke face once again closed off and resumed his normal bored expression, he turned away from her to grab his seat belt then after making a big show of buckling himself in he glanced up_

"_No one" _

No one, Sakura hmphed before once again facing forward. Bull. Shit. There had to be somebody and they had to be important if they could make Sasuke react like that, Sakura herself would kill if her name alone was capable of making Sasuke look anything close to that. But she knew no matter what she said or did Sasuke was no longer going to speak on the subject. Out of the corner of her eye she once again saw Sasukes hand come up and touch his cheek, the look in his eyes returning again for a split second before he slammed his hand back down on the steering wheel.

_No one huh_ she thought to herself. Well somebody had to put that bruise there and it had to have been somebody close to him if they somehow landed a punch on Sasuke. She narrowed her eyes in determination

And she, she decided, was going to find out just who this somebody is.

I just can't believe it. Sasuke thought to himself for the millionth time. Does this mean that… Naruto was real? All this time his friend was real? Did that mean that his pain was real too? No it couldn't be, he must have just hit something when he fell off the couch. Yea that was it. That's the only logical explanation. He touched his jaw again, thinking back on his dream

"_Did that feel real enough for you? This isn't some dream this is a reality, a reality you left me in alone" His blue eyes flashing, Sasukes cheek throbbing _

Sasuke dismissed it, no it just wasn't possible. Because if it was possible, that would mean that Sasuke had left his only real friend to suffer alone and purposely ignored his calls for help. It didn't matter whether he thought Naruto wasn't real he would still be guilty of abandoning him to his fate. Whatever that fate had been. It wasn't real he decided desperately, it was just a coincidence that's all. With that last thought he pulled into Kakashi's parking lot and put his mind firmly on the mission ahead. He got out of the car and opened the back seat to retrieve his pack, vaguely his mind registered that Sakura was doing the same while regarding him with a worried expression. He decided to ignore it, he didn't have the time to try or the knowledge to answer her questions, questions that probably where close to the ones he himself wanted answered. Together they moved to the front door of the apartment building where the others were gathered around Kakashi's huge truck.

"Good now that everyone is here we can get moving" His eye moved over everyone, pausing and stopping on Sasuke shocked at all the turmoil he was sensing in the boy. That combined with the bruise he saw appearing on his face was enough for him to start to worry.

"'Everyone get loaded into the truck, Sasuke come with me" he motioned for Sasuke to follow him across the parking lot out of ear shot from the others.

"What is going on" He questioned the boy and watched his expression as he tried to form an answer

"Nothing" he lied "Just had a weird dream" He mumbled the last part. Kakashi paused, he remembered Sasuke as a boy and the dreams he used to have then. Terrible nightmares that would have him crying out in pain and panic

"Do we need to call-"

"No!" Kakashi stepped back in surprise, Sasuke never raised his voice, ever. Sasuke realizing his error gentled his tone "No, I am handling it" He said then turned on his feet and moved toward the others. Kakashi watched him go and quickly decided to keep a close eye on Sasuke during this mission. He was off his game, something that has never happened before and could prove to be unpredictable. And an unpredictable Sasuke was never a good thing.

* * *

_Hmm so this is where he has been hiding…_ Thought Kakashi as he observed the terrain in front of him. They had parked the car a few miles back not wanting to draw attention then went the rest of the way on foot. They currently were observing the coordinates their Intel had given them behind the cover of trees and bushes a good distance away from the assumed entrance. Apparently Orochimaru had taken up residence in an underground hideout in the middle of this dense forest, the only indication of a human presence being the few tire tracks and broken twigs left by foot prints that they had observed on the way in. Kakashi scanned the entrance one more time and then looked up at the setting sun before he turned back to his group.

"Ok team were going to wait here until we have the cover of nightfall, we should be close enough to detect any movements by the enemy if they discover were here and try to leave or make a move. Once it's time to move were going to set Sasuke and Sakura up at the entrance, Sakura your job is to get us through the door, once you do that Sasuke will take the lead and you'll give him back up, Neji and Hinata I want you guys to go scan the perimeter and see if you can detect any other exits or entrances, if you do then when they go in each of us will be stationed at one to take down anyone trying to escape. After we give Sasuke and Sakura about ten minutes to observe the inside situation we wait for their call to see if we should go in after them otherwise we play back up from the outside. Is that understood?" They nodded in unison.

"Good, then Neji and Hinata, go make your rounds. Sasuke and Sakura rest up while I keep watch." Neji and Hinata nodded before dashing off, Sasuke leaned back against a tree trunk and gazed up at the sky, his thoughts once again returning to his dream.

_You can save me…._

How? How could he possibly save him when he didn't know who or where he was or even if he was real! Plus you can't contact people through dreams! That's crazy, sure there are other crazy things that people can do, but the possibility that he can make contact with this boy through dreams! He laughed to himself that would be-

"Hey Sasuke, do you want to go over our strategy for when we get inside?" Sasuke dropped his gaze from the sky and found himself looking directly into Sakuras eyes. She was smilingly at him warmly and if Sasuke was a different person he would have smiled back, but because he was who he was all he did was stare.

"What's there to go over? We get in, we fight, we find Orochimaru, we fight again, we may kill or die, if we don't we gather all the evidence we can find, and then we get the hell out of there." He yawned "You have my back and I'll have yours just like always" He finished, Sakura blew out a breathe and then nodded

"Yea I guess you're right, we've been team mates forever, our moves are already in sync to the point I can almost tell what you're going to do before you do it" She held his gaze for a second longer "But… It's because we've been teammates for so long that I can tell…Something is off with you Sasuke. I noticed in the car and it hasn't gone away. Whatever it is it's throwing off your concentration. I know you don't want to talk about it, especially with me, but before we go in there tonight you need to have your head on straight. This battle is going to be tough, Orochimaru is not an easy opponent, I need to be able to count on you" She then quickly turned and walked away, not wanting to hear whatever Sasuke was going to say next.

Sasuke just stared after her, taken back by the tone she had used and the words she had said. Sakura almost always spoke to him in an annoyingly flirtatious voice and never did she reprehend him or go against what he said. The fact that she did so now let Sasuke know that his mood must be seriously off. He had to let this dream stuff go, there was nothing he could do about it now anyway. He leaned his head back against the tree and tried to clear his mind

_Sasuke looked around the dark room, waiting for his eyes to adjust, this room was different than the other, and it was bigger and had two windows in the ceiling. In the center of the room was a hospital type bed surrounded on the sides by tables with instruments and on the bed was- _

_"Naruto!" Sasuke move toward the man and took in his unconscious form. He was dressed but his clothes were caked with blood, some of it dried and some of it fresh. His hair was slick with sweat and blood as well and his breath were uneven and ragged as though it was painful for him to breathe. Sasukes hands hovered over his body uselessly, he had no knowledge of medicine and didn't know where to begin. Would he hurt him more if he tried to help? He ran his hands through his hair and sighed trying to decide his best course of action. First things first he needed Naruto to wake up and tell him what happened _

_And who Sasuke had to hurt for putting him in this state_

_He leaned down. _

_"Naruto" He said in his friends' ear, his eyelids fluttered uselessly but he showed no other signs of waking. "Naruto" He said again putting more force behind his voice. Naruto moaned _

_"Sasuke?" He said in a low voice before slowly opening his eyes. Sasuke watched his gaze move around the room before finally landing on him. "Sasuke" He repeated, his face showing his confusion and also his relief "What are you doing here?" _

_"That's not important. What happened to you? Who did this?" There was a slight edge to his voice put there by his barely leashed anger. Narutos eyes seemed to be growing heavier _

_"The creator…" He's eyes were slowly closing, Sasuke reached out and touched is shoulder. _

_"What's his name Naruto?" He asked again, Naruto's eyes briefly focused on his _

_"It's-" There was a thunk outside the door, they heard voices moving closer toward the room. Naruto's eyes widen in panic _

_"You have to go" He said "You have to go NOW" He reached out and shoved Sasuke's shoulder just as the door cre-_

"Sasuke" Hinata said her hand resting on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke sat up with a start and turned toward Hinata in a daze. She looked back at him, the worry clear in her expression

"Um Kakashi wanted me to wake you and tell you that we didn't find any other entrances or exits to the hideout" She whispered, he nodded still somewhat taken back by his dream. Hinata started to move away when Sasuke stop her

"Wait Hinata, can I ask you a question?" Her pale eyes watched him carefully then she sat down and waited. Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how he wanted to start this. "Well, this is going to sound strange but, have you ever heard of someone being able to contact another person… through dreams?" He asked. Hinata leaned back slightly and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that her expression was thoughtful and nonjudgmental. He knew he was right to ask her over anybody else. Hinata never judge anyone, he didn't think she had a cruel bone in her body, she was also the only female that he had worked with that hadn't tried to get in his pants.

"No I can honestly say that I haven't." Seeing his downcast expression she quickly added on "But just because I personally haven't heard of it doesn't mean that it's not possible, no matter how impossible it sounds. There are somethings in this world that can't be explained"

"Yea but the most realistic answer would be that dreams, no matter how realistic, are dreams that you yourself created in your own mind. Even if there are things that can't be explained 99.9% of the time the realistic answer is the right one" Hinata nodded slowly

"Yes that's correct" Sasuke turned his head away from her and stared out into the forest. He knew all of this, he was one of the most realistic people on the planet. So why was he even asking? Still… it wouldn't hurt to look up Naruto's name in the system when he got back from this mission. The name couldn't be that common and maybe if he could figure out how his obsession had started and where the dreams were coming from he could get some peace.

"Sasuke…" Hinata said in her quiet voice

"Hmm?" He answered and watched as she played with her fingers for a while before answering.

"Well… is that all you had to ask me?" Sasuke paused, for a moment he was worried that she was hinting that she wanted him to ask her out, but when he looked closer at her face he realized that he was making her nervous and that she wanted to leave but was too nice to just get up and go like other people would. He smirked it wasn't often that Sasuke had females wanting to leave his presence.

"Yes Hinata, you can go" He could almost feel her relief as she quickly got up and moved away.

Sakura stood nearby in the shadows. She had been listening to the whole conversation, first out of jealousy that Sasuke would want to talk to Hinata over her but then she grew curious over what was being said. It had been a weird conversation to say the least. Why had Sasuke asked Hinata advice about dream communication? Why had he asked Hinata advice about anything? Sasuke was a very private and smart person, she had never heard him ask anyone advice about anything. He usually took what others had to say and then made his decision on his own in his own time. Everything about Sasuke today was different, but even with his increasingly erratic behavior he had to have had a good reason to ask Hinata what he had. Sakura thought about the conversation again _dream communication. _As far as she knows its impossible for two people to be able to connect through dreams. But as she had said before Sasuke must have a good reason for asking about it which means he has likely experienced something recently that has made him curious about the ability. What had happened though...

"Team" Kakashi called for their attention. Wordlessly they all gathered around him. "We've waited long enough, I want everyone to fall into their positions. Neji and Hinata didn't see any other indication that there was a separate escape route. It's a little suspicious so I'll remain out here even after Neji and Hinata follow Sasuke and Sakura in to make sure that no one tries to escape or follow and block you guys in. Is there any questions?" Silence "Good then lets move"

Sasuke and Sakura fell into step beside each other and began to move soundlessly toward the entrance. Years of team work had made them so in sync that they didn't even have to look at each other to know where and what the other was doing.

_Were perfect together _Sakura thought as she watched them move _why can't he see that?_ They reached the entrance and after a quick look around Sakura couldn't detect any trip wires or other traps set in place around the door, they had already checked the area before hand for video cameras. _This is all very suspicious _she thought as she cautiously moved toward the door, she put her hand to the outskirts of the door and felt around for any sort of device that if, by opening the door, she would alert their presence. She felt nothing so she bent down and began to work on the lock itself, after a few minutes of her slowly moving all of the tumblers into place she tried the handle and the door slide smoothly open. She held her breath and waited to see if she could detect any movement inside, she half expected an army of soldiers waiting for them but she saw nothing. _This is easy... way too easy. _She nodded to Sasuke and they both slide into the tunnel and began to move down the medieval style hallway. They moved slowly at first, listening for any sounds that would indicate were Orochimaru might be within the hideout.

"...does it seem really... quiet to you?" Sakura asked. Sasuke had been thinking the same thing, he hadn't expected to hear tons of people having a party but he had at least expected footsteps or guards by now.

"This place it feels like it's been abandon" He answered "Like it was abandon a long time ago" He and Sakura continued to move down the hallway until they came to a fork

"Which way do you think?" Sakura asked she was beginning to feel like this mission was a lost cause and that they-

THUNK

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned toward the crashing sound

'What was th-" Another loud boom sounded through the tunnels. Sasuke began running down one of the dark stone torched lite hallway toward the sounds. the hallway seemed to stretch forever with no end in sight, after awhile his blood was pulsing loudly in his ears and his lungs burning. As he ran he chased away the eerie feeling that he had done this all before, that he had been through this exact same hallway and done the exact same thing, but that was impossible. He continued his fast paced run even as his legs began rebelling at the punishing pace he had set he refused to slow. He was on a mission, he had to find Orochimaru and bring him to justice, the snake had to be in here somewhere. Sasuke could almost feel his presence but he knew he was running out of time, he might already be too late. He continued running and running before coming to a stop when the hallway once again spilt into three different directions. Shit, now what? He didn't have time for this

**_he_**_ needed him_

Sasuke shook his head, again shaking off the feeling of Deja vu. Where the hell had that thought come from? He heard Sakura come up behind him breathing just as hard as he was.

"Shit" she gasped "What way do you think he is?" They both looked at each individual tunnel trying to search for any indication as to where Orochimaru might be. As they search Sasuke heard a faint cry coming from the tunnel on the left.

"Help… Me" Sasuke paused and focused on calming his ragged breathing as he listen harder to try and determine the direction the voice was coming from. It felt like countless hours ticked by while he waited, even though in reality it wasn't longer than a minute, then finally he heard it again "Help… me… please" He turned to the left and almost unconsciously set off at a pounding run, once again ignoring his protesting muscles, his heart racing, he heard Sakura cry out behind him before she too broke into a run, not wanting to leave him alone without back up.

_he had to find him NOW_

Finally he saw a door at the end of the hallway and ran full speed at it, for the first time in his life not caring about traps or trying to analyze all the outcomes of the situation before he acted. His heart in his throat when he finally reached the door and pushed it open, feeling a rush of relief when he discovered it to be unlocked. He glanced around the dark room and waited for his eyes to adjust. Then he saw him on the floor, pale and thin with his blonde hair plastered to his face by sweat and blood.

He took in the room that he was so familiar with even though this was his first time here, everything was exactly as he imagined it. He glanced down at the passed out boy once again. Even as he continued to stare at the real life version of Naruto his mind struggled to gasp what could not be possible.

"Who's the boy?" he heard behind him and he gazed wild eyed at Sakura

"You see him too?" He asked, Sakura looked at him in confusion then back at where Naruto was lying

"If we're talking about the passed out blonde in the corner then uh yea" She answered

Sasuke moved toward him and knelt down staring at the mans' face, his breath caught in his throat, his features looked so familiar but there was no way... Finally the mans' eyes opened and Sasuke was awed by the spectacular shade of blue that looked back at him. The man parted his cracked lips before the corners turned up into a smile, Sasukes heart twisted at the sight.

"Finally" Nauto said "You found me" then he promptly passed out once again. Sasuke sat there staring at him in a daze, he felt Sakura come up behind him

"Do you... know him?" She asked. Sasuke just stared and stared and stared waiting for either the man to disappear or for himself to wake up but neither happened.

"This is impossible" He muttered but the longer he looked at Naruto, the more he began to realize that the impossible seemed to be all too possible.


	3. The Angel vs The Demon

**Summary:** All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating: **This story is rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note:** Hey guys! So firstly I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed and followed/favorite my story, you guys are the absolute best! A few things before you begin to read, I have switched from writing in the third person to first person because I got really tired of writing Sasukes name over and over and over again, so to avoid any confusion the story will be from Sasuke's point of view unless I say otherwise. Also Sakura does have a big part to play in this story so her POV will come up at least once in the next few chapter. Lastly after this chapter we FINALLY get to hear from Naruto himself. Anyway here's the third chapter, hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Naruto is real, he's right here in front of me_

I thought to myself for the millionth time since we found Naruto in the underground hideout. I had thought it at first when I had failed to form a coherent sentence when Sakura had asked if I was alright, had continued to think it as Neji and Hinata came in and lifted Naruto up and carried him out of the tunnels with me falling closely behind, once again when Kakashi had checked his vitals in the forest and they had all discuss options and agreed the best idea would be to bring him back to Konoha for observation, one more time in the car and here I am in the hospital with the same sentence bouncing around in my brain.

Naruto was laid out on a bed before me with various hookups running from his body to machines. The only noise in the room the steady beeping from his heart monitor and the slow inhale and exhale of his breathing. No matter how long I stared at him and tried to come to grips with my new reality my brain was having a hard time processing that my imaginary childhood friend was here in front of me. During the mission I had only just come to terms that Naruto might be a real person, whose image I held onto and animated in my mind with incredible detail. Only in the deepest parts of my mind had I thought that all of my conversations and memories with Naruto had been real, because if they had been then I was the world's shittiest person ever. I rubbed a hand over my face and closed my eyes, all of my past conversations with Naruto running through my mind

"_I think that means were supposed to be friends, I don't have to be alone anymore"_

_"They're hurting ME, please don't leave me here alone, please…. I don't wanna be alone anymore" The boy held Sasukes gaze, silently pleading with him. "Please Sasuke, don't leave me in the dark alone" The boy whispered…._

_"After everything that we have been through together, everything I helped you with, I thought you would save me but instead you walked out."_

"_You can save me"_

"_Finally… you found me" _

"FUCK!" I exclaimed before leaning forward and hiding my face in my hands, as if that would save me from the onslaught of guilt I felt in my chest. Finally being honest with myself I admitted that this was the real reason I had fought so hard to stay in my denial, because if I didn't then I would feel like this. Seven years… he has been tortured and god knows what else for seven years… while I had done nothing but ignore him and his pain. For the first time since my families murder I felt the urge to cry, once again I had let someone I cared about down, once again I hadn't been strong enough to go save them, once again I left them alone while I went to run and hide.

"Mind if I crash your pity party?" A voice said from the door way. I didn't have to turn around to know that it was Kakashi.

"Yes I mind. Leave." I replied not even bothering to raise my head. Of course in typical Kakashi fashion he ignored my request and sauntered into the room plopping down on the only other available chair.

"Still hasn't woken up huh" He asked, I didn't respond "Must've been through quite a lot to sleep for three days, but considering the extent of his wounds both past and present, I wouldn't expect anything less" I cringed, when we brought him in the doctors had informed us that Naruto was suffering from a concussion, lacerations to the head, back and thigh, multiple shallow wounds to the chest left there by a blunt object, bruised ribs and possible internal bleeding. Upon further inspection and x-ray results the doctors were floored by the number of healing bones, scars and tissue/nerve damage Naruto had sustained and lived through. To top it all, there was also an inch wide scar that went all the way around his neck, leading them to assume that he had once been collared and the material had cut into his skin. It was nauseating and only made my throat tighten even more with the suppressed screams and tears bought on by the rage I felt over what had been done to my friend

_Huh some friend... as if you even have the right to call yourself that _

I noticed the silence in the room and realized that Kakashi was waiting on me to give some sign that I had heard him.

"Hn" A typical response from me but this time I hadn't said it because of disinterest but the fact that if I said anything else I might break down.

"Well you staring at him isn't going to make him wake up any faster, you've been here for two days Sasuke. You haven't slept or eaten and by gods man you stink, I'm surprised the smell of you alone hasn't jolted him awake" I felt my lip curl into an almost smile, he was probably right. I had come straight to the hospital with Naruto and hadn't left since then and that had been about two days ago. Before that we were on a mission so I hadn't had a good shower in three or four days. Huh maybe that why all the nurse are in such a hurry to get out of the room. Kakashi leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees before he continued on

"Also we have a report to give to lady Tsunade, I have held her off as long as I can because of your obvious mental state but she isn't a patient woman and to be honest she scares me. When she called me to her office this morning and demanded that I get her answers I swore to myself I would bring you to her kicking and screaming before I had to face her again. So are we going to do this the easy way… or the hard way?" I would've laughed at him, there was no way that Kakashi would win against me in a fair fight I had surpassed him years ago. If I had been in a better mood I would have amused myself by watching him try and force me to do anything but I was in no mood to humor him so with a sigh I pushed up out of my chair and with one last look at Naruto I turned and walked to the door

"Let's go"

0~*&*&*~0

"What the hell is that smell?" Tsunade exclaimed while holding her noise. I rolled my eyes, honestly it couldn't be that bad. But in hindsight I probably should have showered before I came to see her but the idea hadn't even crossed my mind. All I wanted to do was get this meeting over with and get back to Naruto, I've left him on his own enough to last a life time and I wanted to be there when he woke up.

It was the least I could do

"What the hell Kakashi? Who brings a subordinate to meet with their commander and chief when they smell like a garbage dump" She grabbed a paper on her desk and began to fan the air in front of her as she scowled in my direction

um ouch.. feelings are getting a little hurt over here

"You asked me to deliver him and here he is, you never said I had to wash and change him too" Kakashi replied in a bored tone. I watched as Tsunade glared at him with an evil twitch in her eye and could almost feel the waves of rage coming off her. I began to fear for Kakashi's life, he must have realized the immediate danger he was in because he rushed on to add "With all due respect mam, I should have thought ahead, won't happen again" the unspoken _Please don't hurt me _following the sentence. With a heavy sigh Tsunade turned away from him (I could see Kakashi sag in relief out of the corner of my eye) and direct her full attention on me.

"I've waited long enough, you know why your here get on with it"

"When we arrived at the suspected hideout of Orochimaru we decided to wait for the cover of nightfall before we went inside. While outside we scouted around the area to check for other entrances or exits but couldn't find any indication of one. When we decided that it was time to move me and Sakura entered the premises, surprisingly easily, and began our search for Orochimaru and/or any of his associates. The hideout was a huge maze of tunnels that seemed to stretch forever and we decided to follow the ones that looked like the main tunnels, after about twenty minutes of running me and Sakura were coming to the conclusion that the hideout was abandon and had been for some time. We were about to call in the others to aid our search when we heard a load crashing sound echoing through the hallways, we hesitated then when we heard the sound again we hastily moved through the tunnels toward where we believed it had come from. We came to a tunnel that had the door at the end of it and when we open it and looked inside we found a small room with Nar- the passed out blonde in the corner" I paused here, I could tell from looking at her face that Tsunade had noticed my slip and was deciding whether or not to comment.

"And this would be the part were the rest of your teammates said you became unresponsive and lost all usefulness for the remainder of the mission is that correct?" I clenched my jaw at the accusation but gave a firm nod of my head. Tsunade sighed and leaned back in her chair "Would you care to explain what brought about this temporary psychotic break?"

"I... I would like to but I'm afraid I don't have all the answers myself yet" Tsunade raised her eyebrow

"Well give me what you have"

"It's going to sound crazy, but I swear I've met that boy before... in my dreams." The silence in the room was deafening, I had to fight off the blush that was threatening to take over my face.

"Let me get this straight... you think that this boy and you somehow established contact through your dreams?" I gave a slight nod "How is that possible?"

"I don't know but I have a feeling that **he** might" Tsunade continued to examine me for a while longer

"Well your right that does sound crazy but I guess we can't fully discount your theory until the boy wakes up. For now you are on temporary leave until we resolve the matter at hand that does not mean you take a vacation you are to stay in the city until we figure out just what's going on here." I nod again and turn around to take my leave, I feel Kakashi fall into step behind me

"Not you Kakashi, we have a few other things to discuss."

**Kakashi POV**

I watched the door fall close behind Sasuke and waited a minute before I turned around.

"Yes?" I asked and watch as Tsunade leaned forward on her desk and rubbed the tips of her fingers over her forehead.

"Do you believe any of that?" I hesitated before replying

"I know that when Sasuke was younger he had increasingly vivid dreams, so vivid that he would cry out and inflict harm on himself while he was asleep. It got so bad I had to call in outside help to repress the dreams, after that was done he slept peaceful and grew up to be the emotionally repressed man we know and love today." I thought to myself for a minute before continuing on "I only asked him once what his dream was about and he told me he imagined his friend... Naruto I believe is what he called him... being tortured and that it felt like he himself was being tortured right along with him." I watched as Tsunade turned in her chair to face out the window, a jester I've come to learn she does when she's deep in thought.

"This is all very strange... This dream nonsense on top of the fact that the hideout was abandoned with only the boy left behind all is very suspicious, why they would leave him, what did they use him for, why was he tortured, all of these question are left unanswered. Then when I put together all of the reports, especially Sakuras when she said that the lack of traps was a big concern to her leading into the mission, and Sasukes about the possibility of his having an emotional connection with this boy stretching back to childhood... it worries me. I would discount my fears if we weren't dealing with Orochimaru a man I've learned to never underestimate" I sighed in agreement

"The possibility that this was all a set up and the boy a plant seems likely"

"But a set up for who I wonder... and what exactly does he hope to accomplish"

**Sakura POV**

_Well I guess I have to go in eventually_ I thought to myself before I walked into the mysterious patients room. I was doing my rounds at the hospital, my other job when I'm not on call for missions at ANBU, when I noticed that the John Doe on my list and our mission rescue were one in the same. I walked over to the bed and gazed down at the man lying there. He really was beautiful even with the gauze wrapped around his head. The striking blonde hair, strong jaw line, crystal blue eyes that I saw back in the tunnels, and dangerously attractive scars marking his face and neck gave him the appearance of a fallen angel. Despite the results of his x-ray and examinations that conclude that he had been a victim of abuse and possible torture and him being a little on the scrawny side, he looked relatively fit with obvious muscles apparent on his frame. Everything that I observed about this boy confused me, the obviously tanned skin even though we found him in an underground tunnel that appeared to have been abandon for quite some time, the muscles on his frame, the fact that he wasn't nearly as malnourished as expected, his injuries both past and present when we saw no other living being in the cave and no other escape route.

The way Sasuke reacted when he saw him

If I was honest with myself that is what shook me the most. I have never seen Sasuke anything less than calm, cool, collected and in charge, its part of what attracted me to him, when I was an emotional wreck he was my anchor. To see him with that look of confusion and panic on his face, coupled with his inability to speak and reason for the remainder of the mission was alarming. Did Sasuke know this person? If he did then how? I peered closer at the man, part of me hoping he would wake up and give me the answers I wanted right here and now.

"Just who are you?" I mumbled

"Sakura" I jolted and swung toward the door and standing there was a freshly showered Sasuke. "What are you doing" I laughed nervously and rubbed the back of my head.

"I was on rounds at the hospital and his name was on my chart. I came in to chart his results and see if there was any change in his condition. But I guess my curiosity kind of got the better of me" I laughed nervously again. Sasuke just continued to stare at me before he moved in the room and sat down in the chair on the other side of the bed

"Whatever" He looked down at the man and I see it, only for a moment it but it's there, a tiny flicker of emotion in his face. Then he looks away, pulling a book out of his backpack and flipping to a random page. I glance from the backpack, to the book, back to Sasuke and around again. Is he going to… _stay_ here?

"Sasuke"

"Hn"

"Um what are you doing?"

"Waiting"

Waiting for what?"

"For him to wake up" I can hear the irritation in his voice but if he would just give me a real answer I wouldn't have to keep asking so many questions

"Why?" with a sigh he lowers the book and looks at me

"Because I want answers and he's the only one who can give them to me" Then he lifts the book once more and begins to read, signaling that the conversation is over. With my own sigh I turn back to the machine and begin charting my results when I finish doing that I turn to Sasuke again.

"I'm sorry Sasuke but I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the room" He looks at me, I can tell he's surprised even if I can't read it on his face.

"Why?" I huff

"Because I have to exam his other wounds which involves me taking off his gown. Because of this allowing you to stay would be a breach of his privacy and since he has not been awake to identify you as either family or a friend you are not allowed to be here." I watch as he processes what I just said, then with a defeated slump in his shoulders he gets up and silently exits the room. Relieved that he didn't try to fight me on this I quickly get back to work and start to exam his wounds, I move to lift up his shirt and take off the gown. Once his torso is uncovered I start to take off the gauze and tape over his wounds, I pull back the first one and once I do my hand stills in shock

"No way" I whisper then hurry to take off the other ones and they all show the same result. The wounds had healed without so much as a scratch left behind, thinking that maybe it's because these were shallow cuts and he could just be a fast healer I start unwrapping the gaze around his head and once again the area is closed with only a faint scar in its place, I see the same results when I look at the wounds that are on his back and thigh. I step away from the bed

_That isn't possible_

I check his medical chart again just to make sure and as I thought those wounds had required stiches. There was no way that they could have healed this quickly. I look over at the patient once again, trying to see if there is anything else that was weird but he looked like a normal 20ish year old boy. With a sigh I began to make a note on my chart when I notice a tattoo around his navel, it's a tribal design that looks vaguely familiar. I walk toward the bed again and lower the gown more to get a better look at it, where have I seen this before? I bring my finger up and lightly start to trace the design when cringe and flinch backward. I look at my finger and it's red and welted from the heat of touching the burning tattoo. I'm still standing there completely in shock when I hear it, a slight demonic laughter that seems to whisper around the room, I look around wildly trying to find the source but it's just me and the man in here and he hasn't moved an inch since I arrived. I'm beginning to believe I just imagined it when I heard it again, this time a little louder than before

_What in the world_

Terrified I quickly pulled the patients gown up, careful not to get any closer to the tattoo then I had to and grabbing my chart I ran out of the room as fast as I could.

**Sasuke POV **

"Sakura" I call after the fleeing girl. She either didn't hear me or chose to ignore me and continued down the hall. I stared after her, what could possible make Sakura react like that? I looked at the door and consider for a second chasing after to her and finding out for myself what had her spooked, but decide against it and go back into Naruto's room. I walk in and everything looks the same, except for this time there is no gauze wrapped around his head. I look closer at his scalp and only see a faint scar where the wound was. Weird, I guess it hadn't been as deep as we had thought. I sit back down in my chair and resume reading, or pretending to read I should say there were too many unanswered questions running around in my head to even begin to focus on the book in front of me. Admitting defeat I closed the book and switched my focus back to the object of my distraction.

It never fails that every time I look at him, I'm shocked by the fact that he's here beside me and that he looks exactly the same as he did in the dreams. It's seeming more and more likely that this is really the boy from my dreams, that we are somehow able to connect with each other through them, and that at one point I abandon him. I didn't know whether I wanted him to wake up or stay asleep, because I knew as soon as he did there was a chance that he would confirm everything I was just beginning to realize, and I don't know if I'm ready for that. Either way I need to hear him say that he is Naruto, before I fully accept this crazy idea I need to hear him say it.

I reached out and took his hand, surprised at just how warm and smooth it is in mine. This was the first time I had ever really touched him, I had hesitated before because my mind had still been at war over what I was seeing and touching him would have been too much. I looked down at our hands, mine relatively smooth and his covered in scars and felt my chest become even more tight.

"Naruto... I'm so sorry"

The hand I was holding tightened, I glanced up from our interlocked fingers and into a pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Sasuke"


	4. The Old Lady vs The Idiot

**Summary:** All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:** This story if rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note:** I spoiled you guys with the first three chapters coming out so soon after each other, I just started my new internship in the UK this past week so from now on I'm going to be updating once every week (I hope). Also I know that there is a story out there that is similar to mine (one of my reviews mentioned it and I went to go find it, it's really good too) but my plot is going to be vastly different to theirs beside the fact that Naruto and Sasuke's first meeting took place in their dreams. Sorry this chapter is shorter than the others but i'm already working on the next chapter which will be basically all Sasuke and Naruto, they do have a lot to discuss. Enjoy!

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**Sasuke POV**

Holy Shit

I continued to stare into Naruto eyes, my mouth slightly open. I wanted to say something – anything- but my brain seemed to be incapable of forming sentences at the moment. I mean what do you say to your imaginary friend when he walks straight out of your dreams and crash lands in your life? Hello? That felt inadequate. What are you doing here? That sounded unwelcoming. So I continued to sit and stare for what felt like hours

Shit I've never been tongue tied a day in my life and now it's happened twice in less than a week, all because of him

"Wow it feels so weird to actually be here with you" He murmured as his eyes roamed over my face. I had just been thinking the same thing about him, so this is it then. My final proof that he is really Naruto.

"So it was real? All of it?" I ask in a quiet voice, I saw a flash of anger in his eyes before he closed them and pulled his hand from mine.

"You know I'm getting really tired of you asking that. Yes Sasuke, it was real, I am real" He keeps his eyes closed refusing to look at me as if he's trying to shut me out. Frustrated and a little hurt I run a hand through my hair

"Look I'm sorry but you have to realize how crazy this all seems to me! You need to give me a minute to adjust here!" His eyes snap open and next thing I know he's in my face glaring at me.

"I've given you a minute Sasuke, SIX YEARS of minutes! So excuse the fuck out of me if I'm not feeling all that patient anymore" He hisses, his lips are pulled back from his teeth bared in an animalistic type of snarl, I'm glaring back even though I know that he's right. I don't know how long we would have continued like this if the door hadn't opened letting a very surprised nurse with hair as red as a fire truck into the room.

"Oh thank goodness you're finally up!" She says smiling, which quickly turns to a frown when she gets a better look at us. I know it doesn't look good, Naruto is half leaning out of the bed, there's obvious tension in the air and he literally just woke up from a three day long coma. So I'm not surprised when the nurse turns to me with a furious scowl on her face, her eyes that are the same bright red as her hair (must be contacts…right) flashing dangerously.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" I blinked

"Um I was just visiting a friend when he-" She cut me off

"Is he your friend Mr.-"

"Uzumaki Naruto" huh so that's his full name

"Mr. Uzumaki?" She finished, I winced not entirely sure what he was going to say. I quickly glance over at him and he looked almost a stumped as I felt.

'Well I guess he's the closet thing I've got" The nurse looked confused by this but with one final glare at me she let it slide.

"Well good now that your awake I can alert the doctors and we can get a better read on your situation. Also Sasuke your boss wanted to be notified immediately when he woke up, which I will let you take care of since you seem to have nothing better to do but torment my patients" I glared at the tiny nurse from hell, she glared back with a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I would but I wanted to stay with Naruto" I responded through gritted teeth

"Do you want him here?" She asked Naruto, who was currently leaning back in his bed with his own satisfied smirk painted across his face. When he saw my obvious distress his smile grew wider

"Not particularly, by all means we wouldn't want to keep your boss waiting" Idiot. Siding with the nurse over me. She looked at me with a smug smile then pointed at the door behind her

"Out" I gave one final glare around the room then grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder.

"We're not finished dobe, I'll be back" I said then walked through the door

**Naruto's POV **

_I'll be back_

I snorted, what is he the fucking Terminator? I rolled my eyes before I redirected my attention back to the "nurse".

"What are you doing here Karin?" Karin was busy staring at the door that Sasuke had went through

"Holy mother of mercy that was one fine man." She said before turning back to me "Think he'll ask me out?"

"With the way you just treated him?" I scoffed "The only thoughts he's probably having of you right now involve your death"

"Oh kinky" I rolled my eyes again

"Answer my question, what are you doing here?'

"The boss sent me" She answered. I felt my skin crawl even thinking about that man.

"Well he shouldn't have, I made it very clear to him that I was done being his puppet. As you saw he made his displeasure known then left me in that pit to 'think about my decision'" I stated trying to ignore the feelings that the memory brought up in me, the guilt and the rage at war with each other and causing a tightening feeling in my chest "Then I was rescued and now I'm out, I'm not going back"

"You and I both know that you can never be done. Whatever he is letting you do here, it's temporary and somehow it serves his purpose. He owns you, he owns us" She said quietly, it was a statement that Orochimaru had reiterated to his "subjects" over and over for however long they had been captive, it was as ingrained in their memories as their own names.

"No one owns me" I was tired of being an experiment, a lab rat, and a piece of property. This was it my ticket to freedom. She pushed her glasses further up her nose masking the doubtful expression on her face

"Hmph we will see, either way he sent me to… take care of the problems that your hospital stay might cause" I felt an unwelcomed wave of gratitude, I had been worried how I was going to explain my health when I woke up. I quickly squashed it, that man does not deserve my gratitude he did it for himself more than for me. "I've altered the hospital documents, if any one goes and looks they'll think you were brought in with only shallow wounds and a concussion and that the 3 day long nap you decided to take – I mean really was that necessary- was a result of stress on your mind or some bull like that. The doctors and nurses that worked on you have all been… dealt with accordingly." I decided not to comment on that last statement, sometimes it's better not to know. I relaxed back into the bed and closed my eyes. I felt Karin come closer to me

"Naruto, I hope you know what you're doing. If they find out…" I feel the smallest amount of fear before it's overcome with determination.

"They won't"

**Sasuke POV **

Kakashi, Tsunade and I had all returned to Naruto's room after I went to retrieve her. The ride over had been relatively silent, not a word spoken between the three of us as we arrived at the hospital. I watched silently as Tsunade stood over Naruto bed and stared down at him, he glared back at her with a sneer on his face. I inwardly snickered, he had no clue what Tsunade could and would do to him if he didn't wipe that look off his face and fast.

"What are you looking at brat" She grinded out

"Funny I was going to ask you the same thing lady" He retorted, Tsunade leaned even closer

"If you don't hurry up and locate your manners, you and this hospital room will be seeing a lot more of each other" Naruto leaned even closer

"Is that a threat?" he hissed

"That's a guarantee" Tsunade stated

"I'd like to see you try" They continued to look at each other locked in a staring contest to the death before Kakashi broke the silence with his nervous laughter.

"Ok ok everyone calm down, we're just here to talk to you… Naruto is it?" He asked, cutting a quick glance my way before looking back at the hostile couple in the middle of the room. Naruto reluctantly stopped his stare down with Tsunade and refocused on Kakashi

"Yea?"

"First thing is, what were you doing down in that cave?" Naruto crossed his arms, immeditly going on the defense

"I was left there"

"By who"

"Orochimaru" The room fell into a temporary silence

"Why did Orochimaru leave you there?"

"I had… angered him"

"What did you do that angered him?"

"Refused an order"

"What order?"

Silence

"What order?"

Silence. Naruto continued to look passively at Kakashi but refused to give him an answer, with a sigh Kakashi moved on

"What was the nature of your relationship with Orochimaru?"

"I was one of his…. Subjects"

"Subject? So you worked for him?" Naruto appeared to think this over before answering slowly, uncrossing his arms and looking toward the ceiling.

"No…. working would imply that I had a choice….. I was a captive there was no choice"

"What did he do to you during you captivity?" Naruto looked away from him and toward the floor, his fist clenched in his lap.

"Things that you can't imagine and that I don't wanna discuss" Kakashi started to speak but Tsunade beat him to the punch

"Well you're going to discuss them with us brat!" She said leaning forward, Naruto looked back at her with an almost bored expression on his face.

"Make me old lady" There was a deadly silence in the room, Kakashi and I both started to ease toward the door. Tsunade's face was carefully blank as she moved calmly to the bed stopping about two feet away from Naruto.

"What. Did. You. Call. Me?" Naruto must be able to tell that something bad was about to happen, he couldn't be that dense and try to provoke an unknown opponent, surely he would back down an-

"I said. Make me…. Old Lady" He retorted, I almost face palmed. What an _idiot_.

"Why you!" Kakashi and I quickly left the room to sounds of punches and yelling. Kakashi closed the door behind him with a sigh, after turning to the distressed nurse in the hallway and explaining that Tsunade was "having a discussion" with a patient and that she should probably alert the floor not to disturb them, he turned to me.

"You know I think she can take it from here, you want to go get coffee and come back in about thirty minutes?" I smirked raising my voice slightly to be heard over Naruto' complaints and pleas coming from the room as well as Tsunade cursing

"Sounds good to me" We both walked down the hallway, the unpleasant sounds of distress coming from Naruto's room following us all the way to the elevator.

**Sakuras POV**

I finally made it to my apartment and after shutting the door leaning back against it, breathed a sigh of relief. I had tried to get back to work after my encounter with the blonde haired patient but had been unable to focus and ended up asking if I could leave early. Had I really seen what I had thought I'd seen? Heard what I had thought I heard? What was that laughter? I opened my eyes and gazed unseeingly into the interior of my apartment. I shook my head

I know what I heard, as an ANBU agent you learned to trust your instincts and all of mine were on high alert right now. I don't trust that man, something is off about him….

_Are you sure you're not jealous…._

I frowned, no… I don't think so… but can I be sure? I admit I did feel a sting of _something_ when I realized that Sasuke was planning on staying by his bedside, and also when I saw how he looked at him, but that can't be what's causing all of these feelings of distrust right? I admit whenever it comes to Sasuke my emotions can cloud my judgment, Tsunade has always warned me that my feelings would cause trouble in the future if there ever came a time when our investigation involved Sasuke but I was already in too deep by the time she gave me that advice. Could I really trust myself?

Frustrated with my thoughts and myself in general I moved away from the door and into my kitchen and started fixing a cup of tea. Once that was done I moved onto my balcony and took a seat gazing at the city below me and trying to gather my thoughts. Blowing on my tea I came to a decision, I wouldn't act on my suspicions right away I would sit back and observe. Then if things continue to feel off to me and if anything funny starts to happen I would act and bring my concerns to Tsunade. Leaning my head back against my chair I tried to ward of the feeling of foreboding, the sense that Sasuke was in danger

I strengthen my resolve

Nothing was going to happen to Sasuke, not as long as I had a say in it. If that blonde was a threat to him….

Then I'd just have to kill him.

Smiling I took another sip of my tea and stared into the night.

**Sasuke POV**

We returned a half an hour later to a shocking sight.

Tsunade was sitting next to Naruto and

She

Was

_Laughing_

I stared in shock and knew that Kakashi was probably doing the same. Both of them had their heads bent close to each other and were conversing about something and Tsunade had thrown her head back and laughed. I don't know if I've ever seen Tsunade smile, much less laugh. How had this happened? When we had left it sounded like Naruto was a step from death now they looked like they were bonding.

What is going on here?

"What is going on here?" Kakashi asked, mirroring my own thoughts. Both Tsunade and Naruto looked toward the door in surprise, guess they had been too caught up in whatever they were talking about to realize that they had company. Tsunade looked somewhat sheepish and Naruto scratch the back of his head.

"So are you guys' friends now?" Kakashi questioned, Naruto scoffed

"Are you kidding me, she just tried to kill me!" He yelled then turned and glared at Tsunade once more but it lacked some of the heat from earlier. Tsunade crossed her arms and looked off to her left.

"You deserved it" She huffed

"But you were laughing, I've never seen you laugh" Kakashi continued, She just shrugged her shoulders

"What can I say, the boy could charm a snake"

"I think he already has" I muttered under my breath, Naruto snickered into his palm. I doubt he heard me and I wondered if we had just had the same thought.

"What did you say boy?" Tsunade hissed in my direction. Then again maybe I had just spoken louder than I had thought.

"Nothing" I muttered, appeased she sat back

"So what have you decided? Have you learned anything from him?" Kakashi asked, Naruto scowled obviously upset that we were talking about him like he wasn't in the room.

"No he's been as tightlipped with me as he was with you. He's a stubborn kid alright" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully "Well I can't very well let you go without knowing all the details, I guess I could lock you in one of our holding cells it would seem you're used to that kind of treatment, but that feels like a little much. But I don't know anything about you, you could be dangerous to the general population…" She paused again "I guess I only have one good option then, Sasuke you said that you wanted to keep an eye on him and get answers right?" She asked me, I hesitated before answering, this felt like a trap

"….yes" She nodded her head

"Then I've figured out the perfect solution, Naruto I am placing you under house arrest"

"What!" He exclaimed "That hardly seems fair I was a victim in all of this!" he exclaimed

'Well we can't very well prove that can we" Tsunade retorted

"Calm down loser it could be worst" I smirked rejoicing a little bit at his distress. Payback for kicking me out and siding with that red headed nurse earlier, otherwise I may have tried to help him out

"Don't worry you'll have company, I'm placing you in Sasukes care" My mind stuttered for a minute

"WHAT!"

"NO WAY!"

We both burst out at the same time and then turned to the other and glared.

"Naruto after you are discharged from this hospital you will be released into Sasuke's care" She said again slowly, I turned to her

"But-" I started but she held up her hand

"No buts Sasuke, this way you and Naruto can work out this… bond you guys have and we can keep an eye on him at the same time. You're already on leave and you live in the ANBU apartments its perfect." Tsunade smirked knowing that I was trying and failing to come up with a way out of this. My shoulders slumped in defeat and I turned and glared at the blonde, who was already glaring at me right back

I saw Kakashi glancing back and forth between us out of the corner of my eye

"Well things just got interesting"


	5. The Mutt vs The Kitten

**Summary**: All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:** This story if rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note:** Here we are a week later and ,just like I promised, a new chapter is up and ready to go. One of you asked me why I write so much from Sasuke's point of view and I want you to know that there is a reason for that, I can't write much from Narutos perspective without giving a way too much of the story. Just know that Naruto is feeling a lot right now, he's angry, scared, hurt, confused, happy and he doesn't know how to deal with it all. Where as Sasuke's feelings are less pronounced but even he doesn't really understand all of what he is feeling. You'll get to see that more of what I'm talking about in this chapter. I APOLOGIZE FOR ALL GRAMMER MISTAKES I DO NOT HAVE A BETA YET. Also thank you to all that review/favorite/followed this story you guys are amazing an I hope you like the chapter.

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"Hey watch where you're going Bastard!" Naruto yelled for the millionth time since we left the hospital. I was currently rolling his ungrateful ass into my apartment building, even though he was fully capable of walking and had accidently ran him into a wall, again. Ok I'll admit only the first two times were an accident the next six or so were completely deliberate.

"Look this wheelchair doesn't exactly have the greatest steering, it's not like you need it anyway idiot"

"You heard the doctor, I'm delicate. Can't have me accidently slipping, falling and causing even more harm to my beautiful body now can we? I know how much you would hate to see any more of my tan perfect - HEY WATCH IT!" I snickered as his wheelchair accidently went rolling into the elevator doors. Naruto glared at me as he rubbed his sore knees which had taken most of the impact

"You're doing this on purpose teme!"

"hn slipped" I pushed him into the elevator and we began our ascent to the top floor.

"hmm penthouse eh bastard? I see the years treated you well at least" He remarked snidely. I refused to comment and we fell into silence. When we finally reached my floor I pushed him off of the elevator - and right into Sakura

"Hey watch it you- Oh Sasuke!" she exclaimed then smiled shyly "I was just at your apartment I was wondering if you wanted to-"

"Who's the hottie?" Naruto interrupted leering at Sakura. She blinked and slowly looked down, finally realizing that we weren't alone in the hallway.

"Oh. Hello" She asked, I frowned slightly. Did she sound... nervous? I had fully expected Sakura to turn on her charm when she saw the blonde, but instead she looked like she was searching for the nearest exit. What is going on?

"Hey Babe, how about you and I get to know each other a little better? I promise to leave the wheelchair and the kill joy at home" He said suggestively, I rolled my eyes

"Were you born in that cave idiot, or is that how you flirt?" Naruto turned around awkwardly in his chair and glared at me over his shoulder

"I'd like to see you do better!" I smirked

"I could get more girls then you without saying a single word" he sneered at that and I saw a flash of challenge in his eyes

"Is that a bet?" Leaning a bit closer I just smiled about to answer when a voice called to us from down the hall.

"Well guys this has been fun but I think I'm going to go!" I looked up to see Sakura already at the door of her apartment; she quickly waved before disappearing through her door. Both Naruto and I stared after her in confusion, Sakura had never just left me before so easily. It was weird

"What was that about?" I glanced back at Naruto, so he noticed the weird way Sakura had acted to, at least I know it wasn't just me

"Yea I don't know"

"Do girls always flee from your presence?" He commented with a smirk, I rolled my eyes, here we go again.

"Never. Must be you" I tuned out the indignant squawks coming from the blonde as I wheeled him the rest of the way to my apartment. I wonder why Sakura had acted so odd, and I wonder why it was bothering me so much. With a sigh I opened the door and took Naruto in giving him a quick tour of the place then showing him his room. The whole time he was rather silent, after I was finish showing him around his room and the ensuite bathroom I shuffled nervously in the silence, is it weird that his opinion of my house mattered to me so much? Finally after a few more minutes I worked up the courage to take a look at his face. His eyes were dreamy as he took everything in, he looked like he was near tears when his eyes came to rest on the bed.

'You know you did alright for yourself teme" He said softly

"Hn." I grunted unused to praise from the blonde, I shuffled again "Well I'll just leave you too rest and settle in. Tsunade sent over some clothes that she thinks will fit, they're in the closet. But if you want we can go shopping tomorrow for new ones…" I trailed off Naruto's eyes were still fixed on the bed, he gave no indication that he was even listening to me. I rubbed the back of my neck and then moved to the door. "Well ok…. Um I'll come get you when dinner is ready" I left the room closing the door softly behind me.

As I walked to my room I reflected on how Naruto had looked at the bed, something that I myself had had all my life and now take for granted, he had looked at it like it was a wish come true.

It was enough to break even my forgotten heart.

**Naruto POV**

For the first time since I was 13 I got to sleep in a bed, not a bare worn-out mattress, not a floor, not a sleeping bag or a thin pallet, but a real live bed with a comforter and sheets and pillows. It was heaven and I never wanted to leave.

But of course the stupide teme had to come and ruin my day.

"Get up dobe! You have to eat, doctors' orders" I ignored him and snuggled deeper in to the covers "You can cuddle in your bed AFTER you eat! Don't make me come in there" Frustrated I finally gave up and with a groan moved to the door.

"Fine" I said yanking it open and coming face to face with Sasuke who still had his hand raised as if he was about to bang on the door again. He slowly lowered it to his side, his eyes were glued to my chest. I crossed my arms uncomfortably but covered into with a smirk.

"Like what you see, eh teme?" His eyes snapped up to mine

"Hn please dobe, I was just wondering about your tattoo" I paused, I had forgotten all about the mark. His hand started to reach out as if to touch my stomach but I grabbed it in midair.

"Hey no touching, I most definitely did not give you skin privileges bastard" I said trying to keep my voice normal and not portray any of the panic I felt. Eyes narrow with suspicion Sasuke removed his hand from my grip

"hmm Dinners ready come on" Then he turned and started on his way down the hall, breathing a sigh of relief I followed him quietly. When we got closer I smelled a wonderful scent coming from the kitchen

"What is that?" Excited I pushed pass Sasuke and into the kitchen

"Excuse you dobe" I heard grumbled behind me but I was amazed at the spread out before me. Literally there was tons of food, more than I had ever seen in my life (though that's not saying much) there was sandwiches, steak, potatoes, eggs and a weird looking noodle dish. Peering at it curiously

"Teme, what is this?"

"Its Ramen, I don't normally eat it but I wasn't sure what you would like so I made a little of everything and had some food delivered." He stated staring at the floor, if I didn't know better I would say that he was embarrassed. A strange warm feeling settled in my chest

"Uh thanks, you didn't have to do that, I learned not to be picky in what I eat, I never really had a choice before." I rubbed the back of my head

"Well feel free to be as picky as you like now" Then he moved forward and began loading up a plate, I copied him and put huge helpings of everything onto my plate. We sat down together and actually managed to chat for a bit without either of us flying into a rage. I took a bite of the Ramen dish and my eyes grew wide

"What is it" Sasuke asked with a raised brow probably the most expression I've seen on his face since the Old lady said we were living together.

"This…. This….." I shook my head in wonder I could tell Sasuke was getting irritated

"Well if you don't like it don't eat it dobe"

"It's not that, this is the most… delicious thing I have ever eaten in my life!" I exclaimed then leaned forward to shove even more of the delicious concoction into my mouth.

"Figures an idiot like you would love Ramen" I heard the teme mutter

"Don't tell me, not even a prick like you could hate this!"

"It's ok I guess, it wouldn't be my first, second or even third choice of a meal though" I leaned back in mock disbelief

"Well that's it. All the proof I need, you good sir are not human" once again Sasuke raised a brow

"So not liking Ramen is a crime against humanity now?"

"YES! I'm glad you understand, acceptance is the first step to recovery you know" I could've sworn I saw the beginning of a smile on his face but he averted his gaze downward and focused on his food, causing most of his hair to fall into his face, obscuring the expression. I continued to look at him and started to feel that weird sensation in my chest. This was familiar, it was almost like old times…. Abruptly shoving back from the table causing Sasuke to look up I got to my feet.

"Uh thanks but I'm really tired I need to go… I just need to go" Then ran out of the room like the spaz I was, leaving a semi confused looking Sasuke behind. Once I was in my room I shut the door and leaned against it closing my eyes.

For a minute there it almost felt like I had my friend back. I almost felt like I could…. I shook my head, I can't let this happen, and my feelings for Sasuke need to remain buried where they belong. It was better that way

For the both of us.

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****Two Weeks Later****

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**Sasuke POV**

"Teme I'm bored!" Naruto whined for the umpteenth time today I felt my eye twitch in irritation

"Watch a movie"

"I watched them all"

"Read a book"

"I've read all the good ones"

"Read them again"

"TEME!" With a sigh I shoved back from my desk and looked at the blonde. Over the last two weeks an easy kind of relationship had developed between us. We were cordial with each other but still broke into arguments at least twice a day, especially whenever I tried to approach the subject of his past, Orochimaru or how we were able to communicate with each other. But despite all of that I'll admit it was nice to have someone around but even now I felt like Naruto was keeping a piece of himself from me, like he was holding something back.

"Fine what would you like to do?" I asked

"I want to go out"

"What like to the park?" he scoffed

"Do I look like a dog?" I smirked ready to answer when he held up a hand "Don't even it would be too easy. I want to go OUT out to a bar or a club and get drunk. I've never been drunk before" He was so excited that if he had been a dog his tail would've been waging a million times a minute.

"Fine, I'll call Tsunade and get it arranged" His mouth dropped open

"REALLY! You're the best bastard that ever lived!" He exclaimed before running from the room

"Where are you going" I called after him

"I have to get ready!" He yelled back before slamming the door shut. A small smile on my face I leaned back in my chair, I find myself smiling more and more around the idiot then I have since… I cut off that train of thought and reached for my phone dialing my bosses number

"Yes" Her clipped tone coming through the phone

"He wants to go out" There was a slight pause.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" I considered it for a moment

"I think he'll be fine, there hasn't been any incidents over the last two weeks that cause me to question his ability around people. But I would recommend that more than just me accompany him to the bar"

"Agreed I'll send over Kiba, Hinata, and Sakura. Anything else?"

"He needs some form of identification" I remind her

"Yes his forms came in today, I'll send over an ID with Sakura"

"So what do we know about his past?" I asked

"Very little came up on our system when we input his name. He was born October 10th 1992 right here in Japan, was orphaned at birth due to a tragic accident, and went into the foster care system before quietly slipping through the cracks like so many do" She replied with a dejected tone. I stayed silent taking it in, there was so much that we didn't know about him, so much of his life that is still a big mystery.

"If there isn't anything else?" I jerked slightly at the sound of Tsunade voice in my ear. I had forgotten that I was still on the phone

"No that's all" Then ended the call. I ran a hand through my hair before getting up and heading to my room, I have to get ready myself.

Two hours later I was freshly showered dressed and answering the door

"Sasuke! You ready to party, I haven't been out with you in ages!" Kiba exclaimed as he walked through the door, followed closely by Hinata and more slowly by Sakura. Sakura looked around the apartment

"So… where's the guest of honor?"

"Still getting ready" I huffed he'd been in the room for two hours what could he possibly be doing? We hadn't went shopping yet so it's not like he had a huge selection of clothes to look through or something.

"Oh well I guess I'll just hand this to you" She slipped me Naruto's new ID.

"Thanks I'll go give this to him and try to figure out whats taking so long"

"You got anything to drink?" Kiba asked

"Yea check in the kitchen, help yourself" I moved down the hallway toward Naruto's bedroom and knocked

"Hey loser, what's taking so long?" Silence I knocked again "Naruto?" The door opened slowly and he stuck his head out

"What?" I crossed my arms

"What are you doing in there?" He glanced behind him nervously

"Deciding"

"Deciding what?"

"What to wear" He mumbled I sighed then shoved the door the rest of the way open knocking Naruto to the ground

"Hey watch it" I looked around the room in awe, literally every surface was littered with all the clothes that Naruto owned while Naruto himself was just in sweat pants and a loose white shirt.

"What on earth…" I murmured Naruto hopped up and rubbed the back of his head

"Yea I know I know but I've never been out before and I didn't know what I was supposed to wear so I tried everything on but couldn't decide then I tried to google what men should wear to bars but then got even more confused and before I know it…" He trailed off and gestured around the room. Still a little stumped I didn't say anything for a moment. Naruto shuffled self-consciously and was that a…. was he blushing? I bit the inside of my cheek to hid my coming smile and walked around the room finally picking up a pair of faded jeans and his favorite button down orange shirt (which personal I think is atrocious but to each his own) and handed it to him.

"Where were going tonight is pretty casual, it's better to be comfortable. You don't have to try to hard just wear what you like" Naruto looked at me for a long moment then with a half-smile he grabbed the clothes out of my hand

"Thanks" he said before dashing into the bathroom, with a shake of my head I left and went back to the living room. Kiba was still in the kitchen mixing various kinds of liquor together, forming a drink that should probably be labeled alcohol poisoning, Hinata and Sakura were talking quietly on the couch. I went to sit next to them.

"Hey Sasuke" Hinata quietly greeted

"Hey how have you been?" She blushed and looked down, Sakura was grinning widely and nudging her playfully

"Hinata's got a new boyfriend" Sakura chanted in a sing-song voice I raised a brow

"Really? How'd Neji take it?" Everyone knew how protective Neji was of his cousin, almost dangoursly so. This guy had to have balls of steel

"Um it's Kiba"

Huh or just be too stupid to care about his own life.

"Oh you finally agreed to a date?" Kiba has had a crush on Hinata since we started at ANBU together but Hinata had always turned him down

"Yea I figured I'd give him a chance and I actually had fun" She smiled you could see the happiness on her face

"Good im glad" She looked like she was going to say more but just then Naruto came bursting into the room

"Hey everyone, the life of the party has arrived" I rolled my eyes when he struck an obnoxious pose in the middle of the room. Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth to cover a giggle, even Sakura smirked at his antics. We all got up from the couch

"Naruto you know Sakura and this is Hinata" Hinata smiled, Naruto paused his eyes roving over her, taking in her long black hair pale lavender eyes and athletic figure.

"Hey there Cutie" he said before sliding up to her and putting an arm around her shoulder "Where you been all my life" Hinata blushed

"Oh – um well"

"HEY GET YOUR ARMS OFF MY GIRL" An angry Kiba yelled from the kitchen before marching over and forcibly yanking the offending limb from his girlfriend's shoulder. Naruto held his hands up in mock surrender

"Hey my bad, how was I supposed to know she was taken" He said

"Well now you know so keep your hands to yourself" Kiba growled pulling Hinata closer to his side her face bright red, embarresed by her boyfriend's display.

"And this is Kiba" I said mostly to myself since Naruto was currently engaged in a stare down with Kiba

"I already said I was sorry, and did you just growl at me mutt?" Naruto taunted taking a step toward Kiba

"Mutt? Isn't that rich coming from a guy with whiskers on his face" Kiba retorted Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously

"Don't talk about my face mutt or I'll make you regret it"

"Really? And how you gonna do that kitten?"

"I'll start by kicking your ass"

"Oh so you wanna play" Kiba smirked putting Hinata behind him and out of the line of fire "Here kitty kitty" Naruto launched himself at Kiba, but I intercepted midair and restrained him.

"Enough you two. Kiba he said he was sorry, Naruto you shouldn't have called him a mutt, and Kiba you shouldn't make fun of Naruto's scars. Okay can everybody calm down now?" Kiba and Naruto who were still glaring at each other menacingly gave curt nods

"Yea, just keep the dog on its leash" Naruto hissed pulling himself out of my hold

"And the cat in its cage" Kiba shot back and the staring match started again, with a look around the room I sighed. This was going to be a long night

Once we got the two boys to settle down we head over to Hidden Leaf, a bar that was close to the building and a hot spot for ANBU members when they wanted to blow off steam. Kiba and Naruto still refused to talk to each other the whole ride over and Sakura remained unusually quiet. Overall I'd have to say it was one of the more awkward car rides I'd ever been in. Once we arrived Kiba, Hinata and Sakura quickly went to the bar while I stayed with Naruto and watched as he looked around the two story club with childlike wonder. I on the other hand felt like I'd just walked into the lion's den

"Hey sexy, want to dance" A tall red head asked me peering up seductively through her lashes

"Not particularly" I replied, with a humph she ran her finger down my chest making my skin crawl

"Well let me know if you change your mind, we could have all kinds of fun together" She said with a wink before moving on to her next prey. I watched her leave then looked back at Naruto who had quietly observed the whole scene

"What?" I asked feeling a little self-conscious

"Are you gay?" wow. Way to be blunt. I averted my gaze from him back to the dance floor before replying, trying to ignore the heat I felt rising in my cheeks

"I've tried both genders and neither one seemed to spark any kind of reaction in me" I replied, the only thing I knew for sure was that I was drawn to blondes, with a glance at Naruto I pushed that uncomfortable thought away "how about you?" I asked generally curious, he seemed to always be hitting on girls but that could be because they were the only gender he had encountered without getting into a fight.

"I don't know what I am It's not like I really had a chance to experience anything. Right now I'm just a guy looking for some loving" he said throwing a leer at the passing shot girl. With a wicked smile he walked after her I just sighed again. Tonight was definitely going to be a long night

Two hours and countless shots later Naruto had finally reached his goal of being drunk and was currently out on the dance floor with a curvy brunet in front of him and a muscular raven behind him. If there was one thing I learned tonight it was that Naruto was very attractive to both of the sexes and he again didn't seem to be all that picky. The three of them were out on the dance floor coming as close to a threesome as you can get with your clothes still on, as I continued to watch the lewd display in front of me I felt a weird thump in my chest, confused I rubbed my hand over it. What on earth was that? What were all of these… feelings I was having? I was still wondering about them when I heard my name being called turning I saw Sakura moving through the crowd toward me.

"Hey Sasuke!" She said cheerfully, well at least she seemed to be back to normal

"Hey"

"You having fun?"

"I suppose" If watching my once best friend having sex on the dance floor while fighting off countless females as well as males could be qualified as fun.

"That's good, Hinata and Kiba took off by the way. They figured you could handle Naruto with the state he's in" I snorted, a twelve year old girl could handle Naruto right now. He was so drunk a stiff wind could blow him over. She shuffled on her feet looking down really quick before once again looking up "So how is everything going with Naruto?"

"Good I guess"

"Good just... be careful ok? There is something about him…" She trailed off, curious I faced her

"Why do you say that?"

"Just a feeling I get" I could tell she wasn't telling me something but before I could respond an obnoxiously loud voice came from behind me

"Oi! Kill joy, why aren't you dancing" Naruto slurred as he made his way over to me, behind him I saw the curvy brunet and raven haired man glaring after him

"I was talking to-"I looked and notice that Sakura was gone, even more confused than ever I looked around but couldn't find any trace of her

"Whatever, teme I don't feel so good" Naruto swayed on his feet

"It's probably all those tequila shots you've been pouring into your body, I'm pretty sure your blood is has more alcohol then water in it by now dobe" Closing his eyes and bringing his hand up to his head with a groan he stumbled the rest of the way to me before putting his head on my shoulder

"Sasuke" I started this was the first time he's said my name since the hospital, it sent a warm feeling through me, bringing my hands up I lightly stroked his hair noting how soft it was.

"Yea?"

"Take me home please? I feel like I'm going to die" he slurred then swayed dangerously to the side. I caught him around the waist

"Naruto, can you stand? " With a groan he nodded his head, keeping a supporting arm around his waist I started to maneuver him toward the door only to find my path blocked by an angry black haired man.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going with my guy?" He asked

"Hey it's um… Shit what was your name again?" Naruto drunkenly murmured the guy looked slightly irritated but still seemed to be determined to get him away from me

"After all the shots I've bought him, he's coming home with me" He insisted, fed up with the inconvenience and feeling Naruto getting even more unstable on his feet I asked

"Naruto who do you want to go home with, him or me?"

"Hmm you of course" He said rubbing his nose slightly against me neck sending shivers down my spine _What was that_ I wonder but shook it off I had more important things to deal with

"You heard him, so you can either get out of my way voluntarily or I can move you by force, the choice is yours" I glared the man looked ready to fight but then shrugged

"He probably would've been a lousy lay anyway" he muttered before moving on. I lead Naruto out to the car and dumped him in the passenger's seat. He moaned and hung his head in his hands.

"Naruto if you throw up in this car so help me I will leave you on the side of the road" He moaned again, concerned I put my foot even harder on the gas and sped the rest of the way home. Luckily Naruto was still coherent enough to move from the car to the elevator but by the time we reached my floor I was basically dragging his ass into my apartment. I dragged him into the bathroom and stroked his hair as he started to throw up everything but his organs into the toilet. Concerned I made a move to get up when a hand stopped me

"Sasuke don't leave me please" I looked into Naruto's eyes and felt a tightening in my chest. Leaning down I stroked his hair

"I'll be right back I'm only going to get you some water ok" He rested his head on the toilet seat but continued to look a little worried

"Promise you'll come back?" he asked in a small voice

"I promise" He reluctantly let me go and I went to the kitchen to fill up a glass before returning to find Naruto basically passed out with his face in the toilet. I sat down with my back against the tub and then pulled him so he leaned back on the wall behind him with his upper body stretched across my legs.

"Naruto, I need you to drink this" I coaxed he groaned his eyes barely opening "Come on dobe even an idiot like you can drink water" I mocked quietly

"Shut up teme" he muttered before grabbing the water and forcing it down. When he was done he leaned his head down onto my lap. I stroked his hair again, I had become obsessed with the silky feel of it in such a short time. His eyes were starting to close, on the verge of passing out

"Don't leave, bad things happen when you leave" he muttered before falling asleep

"I won't" I whispered staring down at the boy in front of me a fierce possessiveness taking over my body "I swear Naruto this time I will protect you, nothing bad will ever happen to you again" I felt the weight of my vow settling over my shoulders and tried to ignore the feeling that I wouldn't be able to follow through.

* * *

**Next chapter: More is revealed about Naruto's past and time with Orochimaru as well as the death of Sasukes family **


	6. Fun vs Fundamentals

**Summary:** All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:**This story is rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note: **Sorry for being late but I had a report due this week that took forever! Any way here's the next chapter, it'll be in two parts I had to split it otherwise this chapter would have been 8,000 words long. Sorry for another bar scene but Sasuke's gonna need some liquid courage to do what's coming next :)

* * *

I woke up to a sore neck, stiff back, numb legs and a drooling blonde. I could almost hear Kiba's voice in the back of my mind _sounds like a good night. _Letting a small smile play over my lips I stroked a finger down his cheek, even in sleep he was a mess. I stretched as well as I could in my awkward position and felt my muscles groan in protest. Rubbing the back of my neck I assessed the situation. Naruto and I definitely could not stay like this in the bathroom forever, his position didn't look any more comfortable than mine besides the fact that he was completely horizontal. Frowning I tried to figure out the best way to move him into his room, I could try to carry him, but he was only two inches shorter than my six foot two frame and I would guess with his muscle mass he had a good twenty pounds on me so that idea was out. The only thing left was to wake him up and have him move himself. Brushing his hair back I softly called his name

"Naruto" His eyelids gave the barest flicker I tried again with more force

"Naruto" he groaned

"Hush teme your voice hurts" He mumbled rubbing his face on my lap and settling down into sleep again

"Naruto, we have got to move" He grumbled still refusing to open his eyes

"Move later, Sleep now" Sighing I realized that there was no getting Naruto out of this bathroom. I started to wiggle out from under him only to have his arm latch around my hip stopping any movements

"Stay 'Suke" he mumbled, I felt that weird tightening in my chest again when I heard him say the old nickname

"Naruto this hurts" The only answer I received was the arm tightening even more around my waist. "At least let me lay down" After a moment the arm loosened and lifting his head up gently I moved to lay down, grabbing a few towels off of my tub to use as a pillow. Once I was settled I rested his head on my chest. His arm once again snaked around my waist and in moments he was back asleep. My lips curled up into a semi smile, who would've known that Naruto was a cuddly drunk? I fell asleep with the smile still on my face

**Naruto POV**

Oh God who hit me with a truck? I opened my eyes slowly, they felt as heavy as lead. Groaning as the world around me continued to spin on its axis I took a quick glance around my surroundings. I was in…. Sasukes bathroom? Why was I here? How did I get here? My eyes opened wider when I realized that the pillow I was laying on was moving. What the…. Moving my eyes slowly upward it dawned on me that not only was I currently wrapped around a body, that body belong to none other than the bastard himself. I sat up quickly than realized what a horrible idea that was when the world spun even faster causing my head to feel like someone had taken a jackhammer to it and my stomach to clench. With a groan I fell right back down and, to my dismay, back onto Sasukes chest. Turning my head slightly I looked at Sasukes sleeping face and couldn't stop the small smile that played across my lips. His face has lost most of it's usually tightness and relaxed into a natural peaceful state, he still looked anything but angelic, his face was too strong for such a feminine word, with his dark eyebrows slashed above those piercing eyes, aristocratic nose, strong jawline and his lip resting naturally in a frown, but he was stunning. Even though I knew I shouldn't I couldn't help bringing a hand up to push his hair back and run a finger down his jawline. Maybe I was still a little drunk or maybe it was because like this he looked so much like he did when we were best friends but I couldn't resist the chance to touch him so freely.

_Just this once_ I promised myself _I can allow myself this just once before_…. Not bothering to finish that thought I tore my hand from his face and turned to gaze at the ceiling. I can't let myself forget, I scolded, I cannot forget for both of our sakes. I felt Sasuke stir next to me and briefly considered feigning sleep before catching myself. What am I a coward? I calmly-ish waited for him to wake up

"Finally awake dobe" I tried to ignore the way his sleep roughened voice sent shivers down my spine.

"I am NEVER drinking again" I muttered, he laughed

"Spoken like a true drunk, everyone always swears it's the last time until its next time and so on and so forth"

"Well I'm serious, honestly what's the point of the night before if I wake up feeling like shit" I groaned and moved my hands to the side of my head "God even having this conversation hurts, has anyone ever told you that your voice is like nails on a chalkboard?" I lied his voice honestly was the sweetest thing I heard in the room but I would rather jump in front of a train then tell him that. He just smirked

"Besides you a few hours ago nobodies had the chance to, I try not to associate with many drunks and usually leave well before they reach the hangover stage. Puking disgust me"

"Well why are you still here with me?"

"You're an exception" There was silence as I tried to figure out how to respond and ignore the feeling his words sent through me. Shifting again I moved so we were laying side by side, even that tiny act set of a whole new wave of pain through my skull.

"Whatever, make yourself useful and remove my head from my body" There was a pause whil he contemplated my request

"Tempting as that is, I like your head right where it is" Again I ignore the feelings those words inspire and focus on the denial.

"Jerk. You just want to see me suffer" I didn't have to look at him to know that his stupid smirk was painted across his face.

"Well there is that"

"Then at least get me painkillers" With a huff Sasuke lifted off the floor and moved to the medicine cabinet pulling out a bottle of Advil and filling up the empty glass on the counter with water before leaning down and handing the two to me.

"I need a shower and since this is my bathroom but you don't look like your moving anytime soon I'm going to have to use yours" He moved toward the door when I stopped him

"Hey Sasuke" He paused mid step and without looking back at me answered

"Yea?"

"Thanks, from what little I remember from last night I know you took care of me so uh yea thanks" There was another pause then with a curt nod Sasuke replied

"You're welcome" and continued out the door

I watched as Sasuke left the bathroom then let my head fall back onto the bathroom floor, wincing when the room swam. Man I am never drinking again, I can't even remember if I had fun or not. I vaguely recall dancing with a curvy chick with…. Red hair maybe… no was it black? Whatever. I also remember a guy with… black hair grinding behind me whispering shit in my ear, shit that had sounded good to me, far better than what the woman in front of me was offering which was just a quick dance. But did we actually act on any of it? I remember his hands skirting my shirt getting dangerously close to my stomach

My Stomach

I sat up quickly ignoring the pulsing in my head and lifted my shirt revealing the mark. I ran a quick hand over it before returning it to my head and running a shaking hand through my hair. I can't remember, did he touch it, what happened? Sasuke didn't mention anything and surely he would have if something had gone down. I should've known better than to let myself get that drunk I had heard stories about what it did to you, I'm not normal I can't ever forget that. I groaned god I hate this

**I hate you too kit **

_Get out of my head _

**Wish I could but I'm as stuck with you as you are with me. **So true. We were forever bound, I couldn't exist without him anymore and I like to believe he felt the same but that's just wishful thinking.

_What happened last night? _Even when I'm out of it the old fox would know what was going on.

**Just you acting foolish and then nuzzling up to the Uchiha who saved your ass by the way, both literally and figuratively. But other than that nothing you need to concern yourself with our little secret is still safe… relatively. **I ignored the Sasuke comments for now, I didn't like that tone of voice the last part of the sentence was said in.

_What do you mean by that? What have you done?_

**I just had a little… fun with one of your nurses who was putting her hands where they didn't belong **

_WHAT DID YOU DO_

**There is no reason to shout, I just singed her fingers a little. I was bored while you were sleeping, you hadn't moved in three days what did you expect? I opened your eyes when I felt her stupid pink hair near my seal and figured I should amuse myself**

_Pink hair? _I sat up quickly too stunned to even register the answering pounding in my skull _Sakura! Kurama did she- _

"So are you ever going to leave the bathroom or should I just move your stuff in here?" I jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice, He was leaning causally in the doorframe his ever present smirk back on his face. His hair was wet and he only had a pair of low slung sweatpants on. I took in the smooth unmarked perfection of his stomach, so different from mine

Lucky bastard

I raised my gaze back to his face and saw his smirk had become a grin. Startled all I could do was stare, I had never seen him smile before, at least not since we were kids, he's fucking beautiful. I felt heat rise into my cheeks and tried to mask my embarrassment behind a glare

"What are you smiling at? Still laughing at my pain?"

"Nope you just looked so cute when you were checking me out" I sputtered

"I was not checking you out! I was-"My mind faltered because really if there ever a good reason to be caught staring at a man's stomach? It's not like I could tell him I was jealous of his lack of demon possession. He pushed off the doorframe and started to turn away

"Whatever you say Naruto, You know where to find me whenever you want a repeat performance. We both know you liked what you saw." I watched him walk away with a mixture of horror and intrigue. I shook my head roughly as if trying to dislodge the thought, there was no way I was interested in the bastard, no way at all.

"Just so you know I would be expecting you to reciprocate" He called over his shoulder. I smirked

Ok I was little interested in the bastard

I rub a hand down my stomach and heard Kyuubi purr in response

Not like there was anything I could do about it though

**Sasuke POV **

_Hmmm the house is strangely quite._ I thought to myself. After three hours of listening to the blonde whine and moan in pain the silence was almost unnerving. I pushed back my chair and got up to look around the house, it would be just my luck that the blonde was passed out somewhere from dehydration. I checked all the normal rooms he frequented, the kitchen, living room his room but didn't see him anywhere. There was only one room left, mine. Pushing open my door I saw him standing there holding the only picture I kept in my house. Leaning against the doorway I took in the way he stared at it, is expression was relatively blank but there was some emotion in his eyes, an emotion that I didn't recognize.

"That's my family" I called out he just nodded his head

"I figured. Sorry for intruding but I've never seen.." He trailed off, I moved to stand at his side and look down at the photo in his hand. It had been taken about three months before they were killed and was the last picture we had together as a family. In it Itachi and I were playing in the yard, he had an arm wrapped around my neck and was in the process of digging a fist into my hair. I was laughing, I think I had just pulled some kind of prank on him but I couldn't remember what and this was his retaliation. Standing on the porch was my mom laughing at our antics and my dad smiling with his arm wrapped lightly around her waist. I don't remember who took the picture but I'm glad they did, even if looking at it makes my chest ache, it was nice to see and remind myself that once I had a family and that we were truly happy.

"Sasuke I know you told me they died… when we were younger I tried to avoid the subject because I knew it made you unhappy but if you don't mind" I knew what he was asking without him having to finish his sentence. I paused trying to decide if I really wanted to go through the story, after a moment and with a sigh I began

"I was at a friend's house when it happened, I wasn't supposed to be. My mom had told me specifically that I couldn't go. We had argued earlier and I stormed off into my room. After sitting in there for thirty minutes pouting I had decided that she couldn't tell me what to do and I crawled through my bedroom window to escape leaving it slightly open so I could get back in. After two hours or so at my friend's house I headed back home, I remember feeling so smug, like I had completed the crime of the century. Anyway when I got back home I went around the side and saw that my bedroom window was wide open. I paused because I specifically remembered it only being open a crack so scared I hurried to it because I figured my parents would be in my room waiting for me and that id been caught. The room was dark when I crawled in which shocked me, I remembered crawling through the window falling on the floor and into something wet….. I ran to turn on the light worried I'd spilled something and…. When I saw…." I stopped and took a deep breath "In front of my window was blood and a lot of it there was marks as if someone had been dragged through it, I ran out yelling for my parents I got to their room and they were…. They were on the bed. I climb in and I was going to try and wake them but…. They were covered in blood… I was covered in blood, it was everywhere I felt like it was all over me" I paused again taking another deep but shaky breath "I don't remember what happened after that I heard that I went to the front porch and just sat there covered in my parents blood, a neighbor saw me when they walked by and called the police but I don't remember anything until I woke up in the hospital. I had hoped it had been a dream but when the cops walked in I knew. They told me that my parents had been murdered and my brother abducted, it had been his blood by my window, they said judging by the amount of blood they found it was …. Unlikely…. That he would survive unless his abductors gave him immediate medical help. They didn't know who had done it but they swore that they would find them. About a week later they found…. pieces of my brother in the woods behind my house, I heard one of them say that it looked like he had been attacked by wolves. After that I was given to Kakashi and I met you" I stopped and watched Naruto, he slowly put the picture down then hesitated for a moment. Suddenly I was being roughly pulled into a hug, strong tan arms wrapped around my back and a face dug into my neck.

"I'm so sorry" He muttered, I buried my face in his neck too and felt how wet my cheeks had become I hadn't even realized I was crying. I don't know how long we stayed like that, wrapped around each other but eventually Naruto pulled back

"Let's go out" I raised a brow

"You sure you want to try that again" He grimaced

"Huh me no, but you, you most definitely need to get drunk and possibly laid" I smirked

"you offering?" then laughed at his wide eyed expression "I'm only teasing I don't get drunk idiot"

"Well tonight you are"

"Says who?"

"Says me, come on remove the stick up your ass for one night and live a little" I was ready to refuse, I really was but one look at that puppy dog expression and I just couldn't.

"Fine" I grumbled almost blinded by the look of pure joy and sunny smile that overtook Naruto's face.

"YES! Call your friends-"

"Coworkers"

"Whatever- call them, I need to go get ready!" He yelled before taking off again. I shook my head at the odd sense of Deja vu. Was it only yesterday that we had almost the exact same conversation?

"Don't take five hours getting ready this time!" I yelled

"No promises!" He called back, I turned toward my closet already regretting my decision.

What had I gotten myself into?

o0o

_Here we are again_. I thought looking around the room. Once again Kiba and Sakura were in my living room having a drink and waiting for Naruto to make and appearance. Hinata hadn't been able to come because she was out on a mission with Neji and Kakashi but we had decided that the three of us was more than enough to watch Naruto for the night.

"Why does it always take this dude thirty hours to get ready?" Kiba moaned, he had been in a bad mood which I'm guessing had something to do with the fact that Hinata was gone.

"I agree I think he takes more time than me" Sakura mumbled, with a huff I was about to push off the couch when out strolled Naruto.

"OK OK I know what you guys are thinking 'he takes more time to get ready than a chick' but look at me? Wasn't it worth the wait" He spreads his arms out to the side and turns the whole time with a goofy expression on his face. I can't help but smirk back

"hn. Idiot"

"Ok our objective for the night is to get this anal prick too have a good time" He said pointing in my direction. Kiba burst out laughing

"Sasuke? You want _Sasuke_ to have fun?" He doubled over laughing "Yea right! That's funny" I was a little offended

"Whats that supposed to mean" I asked

"Come on, you were the guy who spent Friday nights in the library"

"Fundamentals are the building blocks of fun" I muttered

"See then you say shit like that, something some old guy who died on the toilet-

"-It was Mikhail Baryshnikov and he's still alive-" I mumbled

" -I don't care- said that makes me almost positive that you wouldn't know fun if it hit you between the eyes" Kiba finished crossing his arms

"Wait I thought that was from uptown girls?" Sakura questioned still on the earlier quote. I just rolled my eyes before glaring at Kiba

"Oh yea? Naruto hand me that vodka glass" Naruto hesitated then handed me the bottle with two shot glasses. Feeling one up I downed it without a wince, glaring at Kiba the whole time who looked back with a smirk on his face.

"You gonna stare at me all night, or are you gonna join me" I taunted, with a defiant scowl Kiba filled up the other glass and tossed it back

"No good can come of this" I heard Sakura mutter, Naruto laughed

"Nope but it'll be fun to watch"

**Sakura's POV (Third person cause I felt like it)**

_And here I am again_, Sakura thought with a sigh. She was at the same bar nursing a Sex on the beach as she watched her three male companions make fools out of themselves.

"Dude I am totally hotter, chicks can't keep their hands of this body. Plus they dig the sob story. I'm telling ya there's nothing more attractive than the 'damaged but sexy' guy" Naruto was exclaiming

"No way man they always go after the taken guy first, babes love what they can't have" Kiba retorted drunkenly

"hn as if either of you morons could get more girls then me, I can't even breathe in places like this without getting a number" Sasuke said, he was pretty composed for the amount of drinks he'd shoved down his throat. Only the flushed cheeks and glazed expression gave him away

"Psh please that's cause they love chasing you, as soon as you showed interest or how much of a bastard you really are they'd all go running for the hills" Kiba slurred as Naruto nodded next to him

"Fine you guys wanna make a bet?"

"Depends what are the terms?" Naruto countered

"I bet I could get more numbers tonight then both of you combined" Sasuke stated

"No can do, I'm happy with the girl I got. Plus Hinata would skin me alive if she found some girls number in my pants" Both Sasuke and Naruto started making whipping wounds while Kiba laughed "Hey as long as Hinata holding the whip you won't hear any complaints from me"

"What ever since Kiba's out how bout it Naruto? Still think you can get more girls than me" The two men had a stare down before Naruto slowly smiled

"I know I can"

"Loser owes the other a favor, any favor that can be claimed at any time" Naruto Hesitated "Scared dobe" Sasuke taunted, Naruto's eyes harden then he stuck his hand out

"Please this'll be easy" They shook on it then immediately took off in search of their 'targets'.

"God men are such idiots" Sakura mumbled sipping on her drink. Kiba laughed and threw an arm drunkenly around her shoulder.

"Please like girls don't do the same thing" Sakura just rolled her eyes and blushed remembering some of the things her and Ino used to get into on their girls nights.

"So who do you think is gonna win?" She asked Kiba, once again he just laughed

"It doesn't even matter, this is just flirting for them" Sakura almost chocked

"What?" She gasped

"You couldn't feel the vibes between those two?" He asked. Sakura just shook her head dumbly, with a sigh Kiba motioned out toward the dance floor where both Sasuke and Naruto were dancing with two separate but attractive girls.

"You can tell they want each other look" He pointed "Even though they're dancing with those girls they can't take their eyes off of each other" Kiba observed "And I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality to say that it's kind of hot" That surprised a laugh out of Sakura, as she watched Sasuke and Naruto dance facing each other but with two girls in between them she had to agree with Kiba. It was like foreplay for the two of them, with each move of their hips you could tell that it was for the other and that the girls were just props. Their eyes were locked as they grinded with their partners, Sakura flushed just watching it. It didn't help that both of them were excellent dancers

"Damn Naruto's a fucking demon on the dance floor" Sakura froze at the odd choice of words

"A demon?" Sakura said frowning to herself

"Well yea I mean look at that guy go" Kiba repeated "For someone whose been living under a rock, literally, all of his life he sure can move" He turned and looked at Sakura obviously startled by the faraway look in her eyes "Hey you ok?" Sakura was lost in thought

A demon

A demon

"I have to go" She said quickly before getting up and running for the door

"Hey Sakura! Wait!" Kiba called out behind her, but it was too late she was already gone


	7. Blonde vs Blonde

**Summary**: All of Sasuke's life he had thought the blonde haired blue eyed kid in his dreams was a figment of his imagination, until one night a mission brings him face to face with his dream boy, and he discovers that what he thought was his imagination was really a reality.

**Disclaimer:** I (sadly) do not own Naruto

**Rating:** This story if rated M for later Chapters

**Author Note:** This ones coming out a little earlier to make up for the extra week long wait I gave you guys. WARNING STRONG LANGUAGE I don't know about you guys but when i'm drunk and/or emotions are high I have one hell of a potty mouth which apparently I've passed on to my characters. I tried to tone it down a bit. I APOLOGIZE FOR ALL GRAMMER MISTAKES I DO NOT HAVE A BETA YET. Also thank you to all that review/favorite/followed this story you guys are amazing an I hope you like the chapter.

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**Naruto's POV **

_Damn he should get drunk more often_ I thought as I watched Sasuke move his hips in time with the beat. I know I should be focusing on the girl in front of me or shit even the girl in front of him but I couldn't help myself. It should be illegal letting him move like that, with his clothes still on and for the whole world to see. For a second I was obscenely and illogical jealous of the girl in front of him that currently looked like she was in ecstasy, she didn't have the right to be feeling him, he was _**mine**_, I almost snapped at her to move away before catching myself. What on earth am I saying? Sasuke was most definitely not mine

**You want him to be**

_Now is not the time! _

"Hey are you alright?" I blinked before looking down at the girl in my arms, she was gorgeous, had full pouty lips, wide golden brown eyes and long thick black hair. Flashing her a charming smile I learned down to whisper in her ear.

"With a gorgeous girl like you in my arms? How could I be anything but ecstatic" pleased when I heard her giggle I looked over her shoulder and my gaze was caught by a pair of angry dark eyes. Sasuke was glaring at the two of us and if I wasn't already immune to it, I would have shit my pants. But since I was I just smirked and ran my lips down the girl's neck then back up and nibbled on her ear lobe the whole time keeping my gaze locked with his. I dimly heard the girl gasp and let out a breathy moan but it was nowhere near as hot as watching Sasukes eyes flare and see his mouth open slightly, like he was letting out a groan of his own. _Fuck what I would give to hear that,_ feeling slightly tipsy and daring I began towonder just how far I could take this, how far I could push Sasuke without even touching him. With a smirk I brought the girls hips even closer to mine and slowly gyrated against her, I watched as his eyes followed the movement of my hips then flick back up to my eyes smoldering with heat. I then began running my hands up and down her sides, skirting over her curves getting indecently close to her as, I paused there then decided what the hell and ran my hands the rest of the way down before squeezing the taunt muscle and pulling her even close to my hips. I'm slightly shocked that this girl isn't slapping me by now but considering the heavy breathing I feel against my neck I think she's just as turned on by this as Sasuke. Speaking of which he's doing some heavy breathing of his own as he watches me knead this poor girls back side and sinuously move against her. His eyes flicker up to mine again and he watches as I leaned my head down to the girl's neck running my lips along her collar bone then with my eyes locked on his I softly nipped her flesh. I watched his mouth move forming one word

Fuck

Smiling I started to straighten when he abruptly stiffens and flees the dance floor leaving the girl he was with floundering. Confused and a little annoyed I abandon my own girl and I follow him, ignore her protest my mind full of Sasuke, he better not be going to take care of anything that I started

_That was my job_

Fuck where were these thoughts coming from? I looked around the bar but I didn't see Sasuke anywhere. Getting frustrated I made my way back to where we had left Kiba and Sakura only to see Kiba nursing a drink by himself at our table

"Hey Mutt why you alone?" He looks up and grins lazily at me

"Sakura ditched me, why are you alone?"

"Sasuke ditched me" I tried and failed at keeping the bitterness from my tone. Where the hell did that bastard go?

"Bummer I saw the way you two were eyeing each other. Thought you would have went someplace a little more private by now" He wiggled his eyebrows, I turned away ignoring the rising heat in my face

"I have no idea what you're talking about" He snorted

"I'm talking about the eye fucking you guys were doing out there kitty cat. It was practically indecent I think you made half the girls in here cream their panties" My nose wrinkled at the image

"Really dude?" He laughed

"I only speak the truth"

"Whatever I do not want Sasuke"

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt my friend" Whatever the fuck that means

"I don't want him"

"You sure?"

"Yes"

"So if he was flirting with someone else right now that wouldn't bug you?" I ignored the burning sensation in my stomach. That was not from jealousy, nope no way.

"No"

"Good cause he is"

"WHAT?!" Spinning around in a circle trying to locate the bastard and failing before turning back to Kiba and pinning him with an accusing glare. Was he just messing with me?

'I don't see him mutt"

"He's getting hot and heavy with that cutie over there, has been for the last five minutes" He nodded behind me, I turned around sharply and saw Sasuke standing close with a blonde haired person further down the bar. The blondes back was toward me so I couldn't see their face but they were standing close together talking in hushed tones, the blonde had a hand resting on Sasukes wrist and Sasuke wasn't pulling out of it. "Looks like you've already been replaced" Kiba finished taking a sip of his drink trying to hide his smug expression. A growl rumbled its way out of my chest

"Oh fuck no"

"But I thought you didn't care" Kiba cackled but I was already moving, if that prick though I could be replaced by any other person in the bar he had another thing coming.

**Sasuke POV **

I quickly bolted off the dance floor and as far away from Naruto as my legs could carry me. Fuck why did he have to be so sexy? Even with his mouth running over that girl I could see in his eyes that he was picturing me and then I started to picture it too. His lips running over my neck as I thrusted inside him, his hands running up my side then down to squeeze my ass, pushing me even deeper in him, arching off the bed as I fuck him mercilessly, pounding him into the mattress nails digging into my back as he sinks his teeth into the side of my neck-

Fuck now I really have a problem

I finally made it to the bar and quickly ordered a drink, anything to cool me down. I had just taken my first sip when I felt a hand on my wrist. Annoyed I turned about to tell the person off when I saw who it was

"Deidara" The blonde boy smirked

"Long time no see un" I stared at him speechless. He had been Itachi's best friend, I hadn't seen him since-

I quickly cut off that train of thought. Now was not the time to drag that up

"What are you doing here?"

"Why? Not happy to see me un?"

"I thought you had moved"

"I did, but I'm back on business" his thumb pressed into the side of my wrist "Never thought I'd see you here, getting it on the dance floor, not a care in the world" There was a bite in his words

"I don't do things like this often" I hated that tone of voice I was using, after all of these year I still felt the need to defend myself to this dick. Deidara scoffed like he didn't believe me, and he probably didn't. There was a time he would have, when he used to rise to my defense, even from Itachi himself when we would play fight. But those days were long gone, burned away by one stupid action of one stupid kid.

"You look so much like him" He murmured and my heart seized "Did you forget about him un?" I flinched

"Of course I didn't Dei-"

"Did you forget all about the brother you killed" He hissed, his face close to mine and his eyes full of anger and hurt. I wanted so badly to deny it, I wanted for it not to be true, but those words put me right back in that place.

_I looked up from the church pew and saw a familiar figure coming toward me. Dei I thought and started to smile, Here was the only person in the world that probably felt a fraction of what I felt. I raised my arms I needed him to hug me like he used- _

"_I hope it was fucking worth it you stupid brat! I hope you had a great fucking time doing whatever the fuck you did that night that cost your brother's life!" He screamed, his other friend the red head was trying to hold him back and calm him down. I flinched back as if he had physically struck me, I almost wish that he had. _

"_Dei it's not his fault he's just a ki-"_

"_Shut up! SHUT UP! Because of him he's gone! One stupid open window and he's gone, he's go-" Deidara broke down sobbing in his friends arms. He opened his eyes and they met mine, they were so full of rage and hate I just… ran. I turned and ran, I didn't care where I was going or where I ended up. It didn't matter _

_I wish I was dead _

_Why wasn't I dead?_

"That's enough" A sharp voice broke through my reflection and a hand clamped around my waist. I blinked and turned my head immediately my gaze found Naruto's. He looked me over concern and anger etched into his feature and for once the anger wasn't directed at me.

"Where the fuck do you get off saying that shit to him eh?" He snapped at Deidara. Dei just glared

"Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am, all that matters now is that you open your fucking mouth and apologize right now before I beat it out of you" Naruto growled stepping closer to Dei. My hand shot out grabbing his arm

"No Naruto it's alright. He's right, it's my fault" Naruto looked at me incredulously

"No it's not Sasuke"

"Yes it is I-"My voice broke, Naruto sensing how close I was to a break down pulled me from the bar and with one last heated glare at Deidara he shoved me through the crowd to the closet exit. He swung it open and pulled me out into the alley. The door swung shut behind us and Naruto turned to face me, his earlier anger still clear on his face.

"What are we-"

"I never want to hear you say that again" He interrupted. I didn't have to ask to know what he was referring to.

"Why it's the truth. I killed them"

"No"

"Yes if I hadn't left that stupid window open"

"They would have found another way"

"How do you know that? If I hadn't went maybe they wouldn't be dead"

"Or maybe you would be dead with them!"

"Well you know what I wish I was!" I shouted and immediately felt a fist slam into my face

"Don't you ever say that!" Naruto yelled in my face. I stared at him in surprise before all of the anger and hurt that I had been feeling in the last twenty freaking minutes, shit maybe the last seven fucking years, bubbled up and before I know it I'm taking a swing at him too. He dodge my first hit but didn't anticipate my second and I struck him in the jaw, he went down as he fell his leg kicked out knocking mine from under me. I fell with him. I hit the ground and rolled straddling his hips and grabbing his shirt

"How can you tell me what to feel? You don't know what it's like!" I yelled in his face, he grunted and pushed me off hitting me in my stomach before standing

"You fucking baby! You think you've cornered the market on pain? You're still sulking like a child! Holding everyone at a distance like there all out to hurt you! You think I haven't noticed? You don't call anyone your friend, you don't go out on any dates, you hardly leave your house unless it's for work or errands. It's fucking sad!" I stumble to my feet the leg he kicked throbbing a little.

"It's MY life! I can do whatever the hell I want!" I scream

"This isn't living teme! It's like your just killing time till you die! You promised me that you would be happy and live for your parents! Or was that a lie too!" I scoffed

"I think you're the one that forgot, I promised you that I'd live and that I wouldn't seek revenge. Without that what do I have? Who and what do I have to live for? This life, these people, they mean nothing to me and I mean nothing to them! They don't know me, no one knows me." I adjusted my stance taking the weight off of my sore leg then laughed bitterly "It's better this way, then I have no one around who I can let down" Naruto looked at me for a long time as if he didn't even know who I was, and I guess in a way he didn't. He had known the boy that had hope, not the man that only saw despair.

"What happened to you Sasuke? I thought you were going to be better than this" He stood passively against the wall, his disappointment and confusion obvious but his tone conveying that he didn't really care about my answer. He had already cast his judgment.

"Why do you even care" I asked bitterly. All he had told me over and over again is how much he hated me, how much of a bastard I am. Shouldn't he be rejoicing in my pain, seeing what I've become? His head cocked slightly to the side and for a brief moment I thought he looked almost... sad.

"I never stopped being your friend Sasuke"

_You just stopped being mine_

He didn't have to say it for me to get the message loud and clear. I turned toward him and took in his defensive stance and cautious gaze. I missed the days when we used to laugh together, when we only felt safe with one another, when there was nothing but trust and happiness between us. Was it possible to kill all of that? Even with a bond so strong? Watching him now and seeing that look in his eyes I felt my heart ache, both for my lost friend and something else, something more that I had only just began to realize was there myself.

"Look Naruto I can't tell you how sorry I am, but I was a little kid and I was terrified-" Naruto growled cutting off my apology

"I was a terrified little kid too! At least you could wake up from the pain Sasuke! I had to live it every single day with nothing to hold onto and no one to care!" I stepped closer to him, trying to physically get him to understand that I hadn't wanted to leave him.

"I cared but WHAT was I supposed to DO! No one would believe me! I was 13 Naruto! 13! I had just lost my family and everyone was telling me the one person I had left that made me feel normal again was a figment of my imagination, that I was crazy! What could I have done?" He shoved me back and got into my face, his lips pulled back into a snarl pure rage and hurt in his features, I hated that I was the one who put that look on his face.

"STAYED WITH ME! YOU COULD'VE STAYED! YOU WERE ALL I HAD!" I fisted my hands in his shirt and shoved him against the wall

"YOU WERE ALL I HAD TOO! Losing you wasn't easy for me either! You were the last person I cared about real or not. After you I couldn't… I couldn't…. I wasn't alive anymore… I was living but I wasn't alive…." I trailed off and stared at Naruto's face realizing how close we had moved together during our fight. I took in his face, staring into those perfect cerulean eyes and then down to his mouth which for once wasn't drawn down in a smirk or scowl instead it was relaxed and slightly open, his breaths brushing against my cheek. My gazed locked there, his lips were only a breath away from mine….

"Make me feel alive again…." I raised my eyes to his and my breath caught in my chest when I saw all the desire I was currently feeling reflected back to me in those beautiful blue eyes "Please…" The word had barely left my mouth before his lips came crashing down onto mine.

Heat seared through me as his lips ravished mine, not one for being out done I gave as good as I got. It was a furious kiss, our teeth knocking together tongues roughly thrusting into each other mouths, it was full of hurt, passion and something deeper, something darker. I shoved him against the wall roughly catching his bottom lip in mine sucking at it lightly, he moaned before bringing his hands up to grasp my upper arms pulling my body flush against his. I tore my lips from his and kissed along his jaw line down to where his neck met his collar bone and sucked, fulfilling a primitive need I had to mark him, I wanted to make sure he never forgot this that he never forgot _me_. His hips bucked into mine bringing our clothed erections together. Both of us groaned at the sensation, I ran my hands down to lock on his hips and started to roughly thrust against him, Naruto groaned bringing one hand up to force my face back to his before stealing my breath with another punishing kiss and the other running down my side to grasp my waist as he grinded just as roughly into me, I groaned in response, moving my hand under his shirt skirting the edge of his pants, I couldn't get enough of this of _**him**_. It's like I lost my mind the minute my lips met his. It was heaven, it was hell and it was over all too soon. Before I even knew what was happening I was roughly pushed away, thrown off balance I stumbled back. Still breathing roughly I looked up in shock

"I can't do this. I can't there's still so much….. Half of me still hates you Sasuke and I'll hate myself if I do this before I can even forgive you for leaving me. But I don't know… I don't know if I ever will" I felt my heart sink in my chest as I took in his cold stare. There wasn't even a trace of the heat that had originally occupied them. I ran a shaky hand over my mouth, turning my back to him I tried to gain my composure. Could I really blame him? I had already proved myself untrustworthy in his eyes. His ultimate time of need and I was nowhere to be found. I mean what did I expect? That I could simply kiss away the past? That I could fuck my way into his heart? I felt a wet drop on my cheek, at first I thought it was tears but then noticed more on the ground around me. I gave a bitter laugh, of course it would start raining now, like I was in some dramatic ass romantic comedy. Staring up into the sky my lips turned up into a sad smile contemplating the universes sense of humor

"It's ok I wouldn't forgive me either" I said quietly, I didn't turn around but I knew that he heard me, he always heard me "Kiba's inside, I'll text him and let him know I'm heading out and where you are. Have him bring you back, if you leave without him it'll violate your agreement and you'll get thrown in a cell"

"I know" he answered I slowly nodded my head

"I'll see you back at ho- at my apartment" Then I walked away leaving him standing there and trying my hardest not to look back.

**Naruto's POV**

I watched Sasuke walk away from me and tried to ignore the pain in my chest. Its better this way I remind myself, but the words sound hollow and false even to my ears.

"You can come out know" I called and saw the hidden figure move out of the shadows

"Still as sharp as ever I see" a dark and familiar voice answered

"What are you doing stalking around in the rain?" I refused to look in his direction, it was taking all of my effort to mask the confusion and anger I was feeling.

"Just checking on my favorite blonde" I felt rather than saw him move closer "Not getting to attached are you?" I gritted my teeth refusing to answer, I heard him tsk and tensed when I felt his hand ghost over my abdomen "Don't forget Naruto" Then as quickly as he had come he was gone. My shoulders sagging in defeat I turned and ran a frustrated fist into the wall, I felt my skin tear and my knuckles pop. Breathing heavily I lifted my eyes to the sky soaking in the feeling of the rain cascading over my heated skin

"Forgive me Sasuke" I whispered to the sky and continued to stand there letting the rain drops run down my face, substituting them for my own tears.

**Sakura's POV**

Sakura sped down the interstate swerving in and out of traffic ignoring the honks and angry curses of the drivers she cut off. Her mind was a million miles from the road anyway

"_They'll tell you that I'm crazy Sakura dear but I need you to understand that there are things in this world that can't be explained, dangerous things that you need to protect yourself from." She handed the six year old a hand-woven hard covered book on the cover was a spiral symbol and above it the word AKATSUKI stood out in bold. Sakura ran her small hands over it tracing the design with her finger, it's kind of pretty she thought to herself _

'_What's this Grandma?" She asked, her grandma reached out two hands, one to still her fingers and another to reach under her chin and bring her face up to hers. _

"_There are unholy creatures in this world dear. Creatures of great power that can do terrible things" Sakura shivered _

"_What are these things?" She asked in a small voice_

"_Demons." The word fell heavy between them. Sakura didn't know much about demons but she knew that her neighbor always called her that when she was being naughty and terrorizing her dog so they must be bad. _

"_But if demons are out there and they are bad why aren't people trying to stop them?" _

"_Because dear, people are afraid. They get so afraid sometimes that they would rather live in their own little world and convince themselves that things don't exist so that they don't have to be scared anymore. That's why there are people like my friends and I around. To protect those who don't believe" _

"_The… Akatsuki?"_

"_Yes we're here to seal away those bad demons so they can't hurt you anymore" Her grandmas eyes flickered to the door, Sakura turned, she could hear some sort of commotion going on downstairs. She turned back to her Grandmother, she had a feeling they didn't have a lot of time left and she still had so many question_

"_How do you seal away the bad things Grandma?" She asked, her grandma returned her eyes to her face and smiled before pointing down to the symbol _

"_By using symbols like these, sometimes we can seal them in fortified objects like art pieces or boxes but other times..." Her voice trailed off "Other times these things are so strong and so terrible that they have to be sealed in people, people with the will to overcome them. But you must never trust these people Sakura, you must always remember that they have evil inside of them" Sakura nodded her eyes wide in fear. _

"_If you ever see this symbol dear on any person at all you must promise me that you'll call my friends for help" Sakura paused could she do that? "PROMISE ME!" Her grandma insisted flinching Sakura agreed _

"_I promise" Almost as if the universe had also been waiting on her to agree the room door burst open and police men filled in circling her grandmother. Sakura, scared, crawled under her bed holding the book tightly to her chest, she listened as her Grandmother begged to stay and pleaded her innocence, the men didn't listen to her though. They dragged her screaming from the room _

"_Keep it Safe!" She yelled back "Promise me love!" then she was dragged from the house and Sakura never heard from her again. After a few minutes she crawled from her hiding place and looked down at the book in her hands. Unsure what to do with it and remembering her Grandmas pleas to keep it safe she decided to put it in her secret cubby hole, crawling toward the fire place and lifting back the rug in front she pulled off the loose board and placed the book down there with her other treasures. She had just finished moving everything back into place when her parents came into the room. _

_Her parents never spoke of her Grandmother or that night again and refused any police contact that tried to speak with Sakura about the events leading up to the arrest. Overtime Sakura learned to never bring up that night unless she wanted to see her mother cry or hear her dad yell about that crazy old woman and her lies. She started to push it all from her memory, shutting it out whenever she thought about it and one day she stopped thinking about it at all. _

_Until now_

Pulling into her parent's driveway she flew out of the car and up the porch stairs. Her parents were out of town right now so she used her spare key and ran up to her room. Throwing open the door she marched over to the rug in front of the fire place, the one thing that she had never changed in her room. Pulling it back she felt around for the loose board pulling it back once she found it. The space below was dark and full of dust and cobwebs, reaching her hand down into the hole she located the book. Grimacing slightly when she pulled the dusty and slightly filthy novel from the hole she blew it off and stared.

There on the cover etched underneath the Akatsuki title was a symbol

The exact same symbol she remembered from years ago

The same symbol that was on Naruto's stomach.

Her hands trembled as she stared

_He moves like a demon_

Fuck.

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**So honestly I could wrap up this story in about four more chapters or so but I don't know. I feel that Naruto and Sasukes relationship has a lot of growing left to do and I really don't want them to just fuck once and then every thing be solved because we all know that's how it goes in the real world, not. So I'm thinking there will be about 16 chapters to this story... as of right now. **


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